Taiwan set to clinch taekwondo gold

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Sydney: Taekwondo makes its debut as an Olympic sport on Wednesday, providing Taiwan with a chance to make their debut finally as a gold medal-winner.

South Korea are also expected to do well in taekwondo since it is an ancient South Korean martial art, like Japanese karate or Chinese kung-fu.

There are no South Korean competitors in the two divisions being decided on Wednesday, which opens the door for Taiwan.

Huang Chih-Hsiung is favoured in the men's flyweight division with Spain's Gabriel Esparza also tipped to make the final.

"He is in very good shape and has been practising hard," Taiwan Olympic Committee secretary-general Tang Ming-Hsin said of Huang, whose father made him take up the sport when he was 10 years old so he would not be bullied by other children.

Huang has won two golds, three silvers and one bronze in international competitions since 1993.

Taiwan also have big hopes for 17-year-old Chi Shu-Ju in the women's flyweight division, although she has a tough opening match against Fadime Helvacioglu of Germany.

"We will become sinners for eternity if we do not win a gold," Taiwan coach Sung Ching-hung said recently.

Taiwan offer athletes and coaches a reward of T$10 million (US$333,000) each for an Olympic gold, with lesser amounts all the way down to a 10th placing.

Tough loss

While South Korea have to wait one day for their shot at a taekwondo gold, they have to bounce back from a tough loss to the United States to play Asian rivals Japan for the bronze in baseball on Wednesday.

The Koreans lost a rain-delayed game 3-2 on a ninth-inning homer by Doug Mientkiewicz to drop into the bronze medal game.

"We are disappointed, but we'll try our best to win a bronze medal," Korean first baseman Lee Seung-Yuop said after the loss.

Japan, who had earlier lost to Cuba 3-0 in the other semi-final, will start ace Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound.

He had two strong appearances in the preliminary round.

"We are going for the bronze and I'm going to use Matsuzaka," manager Kozo Otagaki said.

After 11 days of competition, China are easily the most successful Asian nation, with 22 golds. South Korea and Japan have five each and Indonesia one, with five days of competition left.

Thailand will be looking to move a step closer to gold when Olympic featherweight champion Somluck Kamsing fights American world champion Ricardo Juarez in a quarter-final on Wednesday night.

Kamsing became a national hero in 1996 when he won an Olympic gold, the first Thai to do so. There are high hopes he will repeat, but Juarez will be a tough obstacle.

Another Thai, Wijan Ponlid, fights Manuel Mantilla Rodriguez in a 51 kg quarter-final.



(c) Reuters Limited.