INCHEON: Hosts South Korea were the Asian Games' surprise first-day medal leaders on Saturday, but they had to share the limelight with China and record-breaking North Korea.
South Korea won titles in cycling, fencing, equestrian and wushu to narrowly top the medals table with 13 accolades ahead of China as the Olympic-size event rolled into action in Incheon.
They got off to a rocky start when China, led by the unheralded Zhang Menyuang, beat them to the Games' first gold in the women's 10 metre air pistol.
North Korea's Om Yun-Chol set the first world record of the Games when he beat his own clean and jerk best with 170kg in the 56kg class.
But victory in the men's team sprint and men's epee late in the day took South Korea to five golds, ahead of China on overall medals won.
China, who won a record 199 gold medals at the 2010 Games, led the table for most of the day before being caught by South Korea.
Army sharpshooter Jitu Rai held his nerve on the final shot to snatch 50m pistol gold from Vietnam's Nguyen Hoang Phuong and put India amongst the golds.
And China's Zhong Tianshi rode to victory in the women's team sprint, a day before she challenges Hong Kong's Olympic medal-winner Sarah Lee Wai-sze in the keirin.
China's Zhang is only ranked 29th in the world but after helping win the team 10m air pistol title, she beat South Korea's hot favourite Jung Jee-Hae into second place.
Thailand's equestrian princess Sirivannavari Nariratana was down the field in the dressage, but there was an emotional team win for South Korea's Kim Hyun-Sub, whose uncle was crushed to death by his falling horse at the 2006 Asiad.
On the sidelines of the event, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach told the Olympic Council of Asia's general assembly that bids for future Summer and Winter Games must address the issue of ‘sustainability’.
"In the future, we want to invite potential bidding cities to tell us how they see the Olympic Games fitting into their social, economic, ecological and sports environment,” said Bach.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2014.
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