Asian Games rising stars

(First of two parts)

DOHA, Qatar — Aimed at providing the foundation for young outstanding athletes to go on to international success, the 2006 Doha Asian Games has created the opportunity for rising sports stars to excel and bring honor for their country.

Saudi Arabia’s Saad Al-Harthi, also called "Arabian Raul" because of his likeness in style and looks to the world-famous Spanish striker, has scored 12 goals in his first 16 appearances for his country and will be a vital cog in his team when it sees action at the Games’ football competitions.

Another rising star, Hossein Kaebi of IR Iran, probably one of the fastest footballers on the planet who boasts that he can do a sub-10 second 100m sprint, is expected to follow the footsteps of former teammate Ali Daei, the world’s all-time leading goal scorer, who recently retired from the national team.

In the women’s division, China ‘s Ma Xiaoxu won the Golden Boot award at the 2006 Women’s Championships, while DPR Korea’s Ri Kum Suk and Japan ‘s captain and record goal-scorer Homare Sawa regularly terrorizes defenses.

The traditional football powerhouses in Asia remain favorites with Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and IR Iran expected in the men’s medal positions but host Qatar also has high hopes given its home advantage and supportive fans, while DPR Korea, China and Japan are the main rivals for the gold medal in the women’s team event at Doha 2006.

In wushu, Malaysia’s hopes rest on 2005 World Champion Pui Fook Chien after the retirement of Ho Ro Bin, a medalist at world, Asian and Southeast Asian levels, while China will show-off with its women’s team of Zang Xiaoyan, Zhang Yujie, Li Junli and Sun Hui, who swept all the golds in their respective weight categories at the 2006 World Championships.

China is still expected to top the wushu medals table in Doha 2006 but now faces increasingly stiff competition from Myanmar, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and IR Iran.

Kazakhstan’s Bakhtyar Artyev and Boomjomnong of Thailand, both Athens Olympic boxing gold medalists, as well as Joan Tipon of the Philippines, whose long string of impressive victories earned him the nod of officials to be consistently voted as best boxer in world-ranking events since 2004, are expected to do well in Doha.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan , traditional boxing powerhouses in the world and Asian levels, will face stiff competition from Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, China and DPR Korea.

In cue sports, India’s Geet Sethi has won the world professional billiards title five times but his reign is under threat from 21-year-old compatriot Pankaj Advani, who won the title in 2005, while Filipinos, despite the absence of Efren Reyes and Django Bustamane, remain a lethal force in 9-ball pool, as well as Chinese Taipei teenager Ding Jun Hui, who won the snooker gold at the age of 15 in Busan.

China, India, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines will be hoping to take several medals home from both the individual and team competitions.

IR Iran’s Hadi Saei Bonehkohal, one of his country’s biggest sports stars who has been inducted to the taekwondo Hall of Fame, is both Olympic and world champion, while women’s middleweight Jung Sun Young, a gold medalist in the 2006 Asian Championships, is one of Korea’s several major gold medal hopefuls.

This year, there are eight weight categories for men and women taekwondo events compared to just four in Busan, and Korea could boost its past tally of six, with Chinese Taipei, IR Iran and China vying for the medals.

In golf, Korea has strong men and women’s individual players and teams, with Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and the Philippines as medal contenders.