Incheon: South Korea overcame Thailand 2-0 to set up a showdown with North Korea in the Asian Cup men’s football final on Tuesday.
First-half goals from Lee Jong-ho and Jang Hyun-soo swept the South to their first final since winning the tournament in 1986. The second all-Korean final is on Thursday. The first in 1978 in Bangkok was 0-0 after extra time, and the Koreas shared the gold medal.
North Korea’s Jong Ing Wan scored in the 96th minute to lift his side to a 1-0 victory over 2006 finalist Iraq. North Korea’s best result in recent years was silver in 1990.
Iraq coach Hakeem Al Azzawi said his options were limited by injuries to key players, while the North Korean squad was in solid form.
“It was bad luck for us. We will do our best in the next game to win the bronze,” Al Azzawi said.
With 322 of 439 gold medals given out at the continental Games by the end of Tuesday, China led with 125, followed by host South Korea with 54, and Japan with 37.
In other sports, Wang Qiang won China’s first-ever gold medal in Asian Games tennis, and Japanese teenager Yoshihito Nishioka won the men’s singles final in an upset. Ranked 108th, Wang beat 96th-ranked Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand 6-3, 7-5, from 3-1 down in the second set of the women’s final. China also left the tennis competition with one silver and two bronzes.
“I felt under huge pressure after we lost the women’s team final. China won some medals in tennis, but we desperately needed a gold one,” Wang said. “Before I went onto court today, I put a lot of pressure on myself although my coaches tried to relax me.”
Nishioka, ranked 168th, was barely troubled in winning 6-2, 6-2 against Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan, a 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinalist ranked 42nd.
China’s divers won more golds” Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia in the women’s 10-metre platform synchronised event, and Cao Yuan and Lin Yue in the men’s 3-metre springboard synchro.
“We practised thoroughly, so that’s why we were able to get the gold medal. I’m very happy,” Cao said.
In athletics, Asian record-holder Li Ling of Japan won the women’s pole vault, and Olympic silver medalist discus thrower Ehsan Hadadi of Iran won his third straight Asian Games gold.
Hadidi said the win was a satisfying ending to a season marred by illness and the loss of 15 kilograms over the winter.
“I hope next year is better,” he said, referring to the world championships in Beijing.
China’s Li Jinzhe won the men’s long jump, and rising star Xie Wenjun the hurdles.
Xie is seen as the successor to injured former world record holder Liu Xiang, and his win was one of the few not claimed by African-born athletes representing Arab states, who have won eight out of 11 events on the track at Incheon.
The practice of recruiting African runners has been going on for years, with the athletes drawn by cash incentives, superior training conditions, and increased opportunities to compete internationally.
Thailand, Taiwan, Iran and Uzbekistan split the golds in taekwondo.
Meanwhile, Malaysian wushu competitor Tai Cheau Xuen was kicked out of the Games after the banned stimulant sibutramine was found in a urine sample taken after competition on September 20. Tai was disqualified and stripped of her gold medal in the nanquan martial arts style category and bronze in the nandao category. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Tai was still in Incheon.
Tai was the third competitor to fail a doping test at these Games.
