Asia’s goal: Winning gold and avoiding scandals

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Sydney: Avoiding further drug scandals is as big a goal for some Asian countries as winning gold when the Sydney Olympics open on Friday.

China and South Korea will again dominate the medal rankings for Asian countries, but the Chinese are already under the spotlight for doping problems after 27 athletes were axed just days before their Olympic squad left for Sydney.

A Chinese official admitted that most of the banned athletes were suspected of drugs use. Taiwan, who came into Games talking about winning their first Olympic gold, were forced to order home weightlifter Chen Po-Pu two days before the opening ceremony after he tested positive for steroids during a screening last month in Taipei.

Three Taiwan weightlifters, including triple world champion Chen Jui-Lien, have been banned in recent weeks after positive drug tests.

But Taiwan, who took one silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, still have medal hopes in women's weightlifting, table tennis and taekwondo. China's sports bosses have said they want to win 16 golds in Sydney -- the same as in Atlanta.

But the cutting of 27 athletes, including six of seven members of the infamous "Ma Family Army" of women long-distance runners and coach Ma Junren himself, may make that goal harder to achieve.

Beijing wants to host the 2008 Olympics, and says it is trying to convince a sceptical sports world it is serious about catching doping cheats. China's once-powerful swimmers have a modest goal of just one gold, but their male gymnasts expect to win multiple gold.

South Korea have been among the top 10 powers at the last several Olympics, and with the debut of the Korean national sport of taekwondo, are looking to improve on their tally of seven gold and 27 medals overall in Atlanta.

Apart from taekwondo, South Korean sports officials hope for gold in gymnastics, wrestling, shooting, judo, table tennis and weightlifting.Japanese hopes

Japan will also be looking to improve on Atlanta, where they won just three golds, all in judo.

Judo will again be the top sport for Japan, but there are also high hopes in women's swimming, especially from backstroker Mai Nakamura. The marathon is hugely popular in Japan, and the whole country will be watching on September 24 when Eri Yamaguchi, Japanese record holder Naoko Takahashi and world silver medallist Ari Ichihashi line up for the women's race.

Boy wonder Taufik Hidayat, the top ranked player in the world, carries the hopes of badminton-mad Indonesia, who have picked up three golds and six of their seven other Olympic medals in the sport since it became an Olympic event in 1992.

One of Hidayat's main rivals will be compatriot Hendrawan, the world number two.

Malaysia, who won a silver and a bronze in Atlanta, also have hopes in badminton, especially the men's doubles.

Both Hong Kong and Thailand are looking for repeats of their greatest Olympic moments.

Lee Lai-Shan is back to defend the windsurfing gold she won in Atlanta for Hong Kong's only medal success, while Thailand's first Olympic champion Somluck Kamsing will defend his boxing title.

Lee is rated as having a good chance of sailing off again with the gold. Despite the world's second highest population, India have modest goals in Sydney.

They want to restore some glory to their men's hockey team. India have won eight Olympic golds in the sport but slipped badly in recent Games and finished a lowly eighth four years ago.

The other main Indian hope is in men's tennis doubles. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, who reached the finals of all four Grand Slams last year and won the Wimbledon and French titles, have paired up again after a brief split and are viewed as a solid medal chance, perhaps even for the gold.



(c) Reuters Limited.