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Friday, November 12, 2010

In pics: Asian Games opening ceremony


FIREWORKS GALORE
FIREWORKS GALORE
Fireworks are displayed at the Guangzhou Tower during the opening ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou.
SAILING TOWARDS GLORY
SAILING TOWARDS GLORY
The boat parade sails down the Pearl River during the opening ceremony for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.
PROUD NATION
PROUD NATION
Chinese soldiers carry their national flag to the flag raising ceremony during the opening of the 16th Asian Games.

The boat parade sails down the Pearl River during the opening ceremony.
AWESOME
AWESOME
Fireworks illuminate the night during the opening ceremony for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.
FABULOUS
FABULOUS
Fireworks explode at the opening ceremony during the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.
ROCKING SHOW
ROCKING SHOW
Artists rock the show with their brilliant performance during the opening ceremony for the 16th Asian Games.

Artists perform during the opening ceremony.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao waves to the audience as he arrives at the opening of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Artists perform during the opening ceremony for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Dancers rock the crowd with their stunning performance during the opening ceremony.

A young boy appears to float on a spout of water during the opening ceremony.

The Indian team parade during the opening ceremony for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Water skiers ride down the Pearl River during the opening ceremony.

Floats make parade along the Zhujiang (Pearl) River during the opening ceremony.

In pics: The Asian Games venues


All set to go
All set to go
A general view of the 610-metre TV Tower and the venue in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou where the opening ceremony of the Asian Games will be held.
Billiards
Billiards
Competition venue for billards inside the Comprehensive Stadium built for the Asian Games in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Squash
Squash
Competition venue for the squash finals inside the Comprehensive Stadium built for the Asian Games in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Competition venue for gymnastics located inside the Comprehensive Stadium built for the Asian Games in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Media Centre
Media Centre
Asian Games mascots are displayed outside the Asian Games media village in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Athletes Village
Athletes Village
A worker raises a flag at the Asian Games athletes village in front of the Comprehensive Stadium in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
The stadium
The stadium
Exterior view of the Comprehensive Stadium built for the Asian Games in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

Asian Games Sports : BADMINTON


Badminton


Badminton derived from Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England in 1873. It was part of the Olympics in 1992. Since the 4th Asian Games in Djakarta, badminton has been an official competition sport of Asian Games.
The badminton court is square, with 13.4m long. The width for singles is 5.18m, and for doubles is 6.10m.
The competition adopts the 21-points system. The player can gain a point no matter whose service is. All the rallies shall be played up to 21 points. If both players reach 20 points, the game continues until one player is 2 points ahead. If both players reach 29 points, the next point is the winner. Matches are decided on the best of 3 games.

Competition Schedule - Badminton


Click here to view the Competition Schedule of Badminton

Asian Games Sports : ATHLETICS




Athletics is the "Mother of Sports". It is an official Competition sport both on the 1stOlympic and Asian Games. Athletic events can be split into four parts: track, field, road, and combined events.
Track events are running races that take place on a 400m outdoor track in the main stadium. The athletes shall be placed in the order in which any part of their bodies (i.e., torso, as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, legs, hands or feet) reaches the vertical plane of the nearer edge of the finish line.
Field events are throwing and jumping competitions that usually take place inside the track. Except for the fouls, the performance of each trial will be regarded as the valid jumping in all horizontal jumping field events. Except for the fouls, the height the athletes have jumped over in each trial will be regarded as valid in the high jump and pole vault. In all throwing events, if the apparatuses fall into the landing area completely (not including the sideline of the landing area), it will be regarded as valid throwing.
Road events are long running and walking races that take place on public roads, while they often finish on the track inside the stadium.
Combined events feature a selection of track and field events that take place over two days and are designed to find the best all-round athlete, such as the decathlon and the heptathlon. In the combined events competition, the winner shall be the athlete who has obtained the highest total points.

Competition Schedule - Athletics


Click here to view the Competition Schedule of Athletics

Art performance during Opening Ceremony of Asiad

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Actors perform during the art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Opening Ceremony of 16th Asian Games kicks off




Honour guards of People's Liberation Army (PLA) lift the national flag of China during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)


Eight honour guards of People's Liberation Army (PLA) lift the national flag of China during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Chen Xiaowei)


Honour guards of People's Liberation Army (PLA) hoist the national flag of China during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)


Fireworks are displayed over Canton Tower during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Li Gang)


Fireworks are displayed over Canton Tower during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Ren Zhenglai)


Canton Tower is enlighted during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Fan Jun)


Fireworks are displayed during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Fan Jun)


Two men holding flags ride white horses during the art performance of Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)


Art performance stages during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Li Gang)


Fireworks are displayed over Canton Tower during the Opening Ceremony of the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Guangzhou Asian Games Opening Ceremony in numbers

Following are some of the key statistics related to the Opening Ceremony of Guangzhou Asian Games on Friday.

175,000

Haixinsha Island, known as the stage of the ceremony, covers 175,000 square kilometres. Its major construction includes five parts, including the Spectators Marshalling Area, the Spectator Seating, the Central Stage, the Fountain Area and the Eastern Support Area.

40,000

More than 40,000 shots of fireworks are ready for the ceremony, covering at least five types including Fountain, Flower mines, Roman candle, Batteries and Celebration fireworks. 970 spots are set to launch fireworks.

26,916

26,916 seats are fixed on the main construction, added with 7,013 temporary ones, which means more than 30,000 spectators have got the chance to witness the sporting gala. It's the first time that an Asiad Opening Ceremony was moved out of the stadium.

45

45 floats in different colours participated in the Boat Parade, which starts at White Swan Bay and ends at the Haixinsha Island.

21

21 composers have composed music of 190 minutes for the ceremony.

14

Rehearsal has been carried out for 14 months. The first collective rehearsal started from September, 2010.

Ebbing Indonesia plays down chances of gold in badminton

Indonesia, long considered among China's fiercest rivals in world badminton, comes into the 2010 Asian Games at one of its lowest ebbs.

Taufik Hidayat is Indonesia's major medal hopeful in the badminton competitions.

A recent dry spell at the top level has hit its nadir this year. Indonesia came away empty-handed from the Thomas and Uber Cups in May and the World Championship in August, and so far it has two titles in 10 Super Series events this year.

Given the unprecedented lack of success, Indonesia head coach Christian Hadinata is realistic about his team's chances in Guangzhou.

"The realistic target for us is bronze," he told the Jakarta Globe. "I like our chances of reaching the semifinals, but I don't know about getting past China. They're still the best in the world."

Indonesia won the men's team bronze at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, losing 3-1 to eventual gold medalist China in the semifinals. It opens against India or Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals and faces a possible semifinal clash with China.

Hopes for individual success are not much brighter. Indonesia's two men's singles entries, Taufik Hidayat and Sony Dwi Kuncoro, could end up facing heavyweights Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and Lin Dan of China in the semifinals.

Sony, ranked 15th in the world, earned the country's first success after winning the men's singles title at the Singapore Open. He has not won since then, though, withdrawing from the worlds with a back injury and losing to an unseeded Malaysian shuttler in the first round of October's Indonesian Open Grand Prix Gold.

World No.4 Taufik, the men's singles gold medalist in 2002 and 2006, also comes into Guangzhou under a cloud. He has titles this season from the Indonesia GP Gold and Canadian Open but has struggled to break through in the Super Series. His best top-flight results this year were losses in the finals of the Indonesia Open Super Series (Lee), World Championship (Chen Jin) and Denmark Super Series (JanO Jorgensen), but he ended his dry spell by winning the singles crown over Denmark's Joachim Persson in this month's French Super Series.

"I would like to win the gold again because that's what I've been targeting this season. However, I think this time it doesn't look possible," Taufik told the Globe. "Three of the top four in the world [Lee, Chen and Lin] are all competing, so I know winning again will be difficult."

Doubles hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of world No.3 pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan. Their path to the final looks clear, although China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng are lurking in the lower half of the draw.

The Indonesian Badminton Association also took a gamble ahead of the Guangzhou Asian Games, breaking up Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir, the world's third-ranked mixed doubles pair. It instead paired Liliyana with Tontowi Ahmad. The move has worked so far as the duo has reached successive second-tier finals in Macao, Chinese Taipei and Indonesia.

Super Dan to lead court battles


Compared to China's struggling "big ball" teams, the nation's racquet sports squads always seem to be in contention at major events.


China's Lin Dan takes to the Guangzhou Asian Games courts, knowing the adoring home crowd fully expects him to steamroll anyone who gets in his way.


Peng Shuai of China returns a shot against Sara Errani of Italy during the China Open at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing on October 4.
That's once again the case at the Guangzhou Asian Games, where the "little ball" competitions represent huge medal hopes.
China's shuttlers are expected to dominate the podiumin Guangzhou after claiming all five titles at the Paris World Championships in August.
Although stunned by world No.1, Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, in the final of the Japan Open last month, China's world and Olympic champion Lin Dan is still the hot favourite in men's singles.
The Asiad title represents the only blank on Lin's list of major championships.
"I just take it easy about the singles title. They will be close games against any Asian opponent, and I'm mature enough to face any difficulties even another failure," said Lin, who lost to Indonesian Taufik Hidayat in the singles final at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
Besides Lin, Chen Jin, China's No.2, who is drawn with Lee in the same half, is aiming to maintain the winning form he showed in taking the Worlds title in Paris two months ago.
The tandem of Lee and Taufik is not the only force capable of spoiling the Chinese party.
Hafiz Hashim, the second ranked Malaysian shuttler, Park Sung-Hwan of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan's Kenichi Tago are also medal contenders.
On the women's side, revenge against the ROK, which upset China at the Uber Cup finals in May, will be the biggest motivation for the home side.
China's highly-ranked squad, including world No.1 Wang Xin and No.3 Wang Shixian, has tuned up well after the Worlds triumph in August to get ready for medal challengers from Malaysia, Hong Kong and the ROK.
"Our target is to grab more gold medals than last time at Doha," said head coach Li Yongbo.
India's Saina Nehwal, the world No.3, is another to watch out for. The 20-year-old from Hyderabad has enjoyed a fine year, including winning gold at the Commonwealth Games last month.
Meanwhile, the all-powerful Chinese paddlers are again expected to make a clean sweep in Guangzhou.
Singapore, which shocked defending champion China at the World Team Championships in May, stands a chance to break the host team's juggernaut, while Japan and the ROK could also surprise.
China will feature Doha Asian Games gold medalists Ma Lin, Wang Hao and Guo Yue and they will be joined by their younger and already well-established teammates, Ma Long and Liu Shiwen.
Three-time Asiad gold medalist Wang Linqin was replaced by 20-year-old Xu Xin on the roster just one week ahead of the games' tip-off on November 13.
"Replacing Wang with Xu is to let the youngsters learn more from top-level multi-sports games and to help them get ready for the 2012 London Olympics. But Wang still has a chance to go to London," said men's coach Liu Guoliang.
Led by world No.11 Li Na, China's tennis team is hoping to break its Asian Games record of three gold medals at Beijing's Asiad in 1990.
As usual, the success is likely to come from the women's side.
"The Asian Games is a proper stage for the young aces to grow. But we are here for the gold medals, especially for the women's team," said head coach Jiang Hongwei, who led the female squad to two gold and three bronze at the Doha Games.
China is favoured to win the women's team event, boasting balanced power in singles and doubles play.
Veteran Peng Shuai and upcoming Zhang Shuai are the top two singles title hopes, but they will face tough challenges from Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm and Indian Sania Mirza.
The inclusion of Yan Zi, a two-time Grand Slam women's doubles title winner, boosts China's chances of winning the doubles event.
As the women go for gold, China's men's squad will be satisfied with a medal of any colour.
The young team, led by Zhang Ze, Gong Maoxin and Bai Yan, will gain valuable experience at the Asian Games, where Lu Yen-hsun, the world No.43 from Chinese Taipei, is the title favourite.
"What they need is patience and confidence," coach Lu Ling said of China's men's squad.