China's eye is on Beijing Olympics 2008

Doha (Agencies)
On sheer size alone, the Chinese delegation will dwarf rivals Japan and South
Korea at the 15th Asian Games kicking off in Doha on Friday.

It is unlikely that the power balance among the regional sports powers will
undergo a major shift and third place is a realistic bet for Japan behind South
Korea, ahead of the likes of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand and India.

China's dominance at the Asian Games four years ago was simply a reminder that
it remains the top dog in this regional version of the Olympic Games on the
largest, most populous continent in the world.

But with the emergence of Athens Olympic 110-meter hurdles gold medalist Liu
Xiang on the world stage in an event never before won by an Asian athlete, China
has set itself on a trajectory straight for the stars in the buildup toward
hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

For the other participating countries among more than 10,500 athletes taking
part in the Games, trying to keep pace with this juggernaut may be an exercise
in futility.

China has topped the medals tally since the New Delhi Games in 1982 when it
ended Japan's domination after eight consecutive first-place finishes -- a
record that still stands today.

Four years ago in Busan, China finished with 150 gold medals, while host South
Korea came second with 96, followed by Japan's lacklustre showing of just 44.

The Chinese, who are sending the largest delegation of the Games in the Qatari
capital, are looking to up the ante with more medals across the board, ranging
from their specialties of table tennis and diving to the showcase athletics and
swimming events.

And Liu holds the banner for the country and the Games.

Liu became the first athlete of non-African descent to go under 13 seconds in
the 110-meter hurdles, making him a hero overnight in Asia, and his confidence
is as strong as ever.

"When I run, all I can see is the hurdles and the goal. Even if I feel pressure,
it doesn't mean anything," said Liu, who owns the world record of 12.88 set in
Lausanne in July.

In an effort to add depth to its wealth of talent ahead of the Beijing Olympics,
China blended proven athletes such as Liu with up-and-coming youngsters who are
still in need of building up international experience.

Such an approach was underscored when teenage swimmer Wang Qun, last year's
national junior high school champion and one of the newest national team
members, made the Asian Games team this time at the expense of Athens Olympic
100-meter breaststroke gold medalist Luo Xuejuan.

"It won't be good unless we see dark horses emerge and win at these Games," said
Xiao Tian, deputy chief of the Chinese delegation, where the average age of
athletes is 23.3.

Two years after sending an athlete delegation of the same average age to Busan,
China went on to capture 32 gold medals at the Athens Olympics, second to the
United States' 35, after moving up from third with 28 at the Sydney Olympics.

South Korea has set a target of 75 or more gold medals out of the 424 on offer
and second place overall behind China.

After coming home with nine gold compared with 16 for archrival Japan in Athens,
the South Koreans hope to rack up medals in their own sport of taekwondo and
archery as well as in team events such as baseball and soccer, where the
country's squad features an Under-21 squad that includes six World Cup players.

Athletes from South Korea will also have an extra incentive since they can gain
exemption from military service by winning gold at the Asian Games. Ace archers
Park Kyung Mo (men's) and Yun Mi Jin (women's) are among the favorites to watch
as the South Koreans are setting sights on a clean sweep of the archery golds.

As for Japan, the lion's share of its medals will once again come from judo,
wrestling, gymnastics and swimming, after finishing behind China and South Korea
in the last two Asian Games' medal standings.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Koji Murofushi stands out as a shoo-in for his
third straight Asian Games hammer throw title, while double breaststroke Olympic
champion Kosuke Kitajima will be aiming to make a comeback from a sub-par
performance at the Pan-Pacific Championships in August.

Kitajima will captain the Japanese delegation of 628 athletes, four years after
being named top athlete of the Games in Busan, where he set a 200-meter world
record in an otherwise lackluster showing by Japan.

Doha has the distinction of being the second city in West Asia since Teheran in
1974 to host the Asian Games.

Saif Saaeed Shaheen holds a world record in the 3,000 steeplechase and is among
the gold medal hopes for the host.

The Asian Games will be relayed worldwide to a potential audience of some 3
billion viewers by television broadcasters.

All 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia are scheduled to participate in
this year's Games, whose competition program includes non-Olympic events such as
bowling, bodybuilding, golf and rugby, as well as those unique to the continent,
such as kabaddi and sepaktakraw.

These games will also mark the return of Iraq to the international competition
for the first time since 1986.