GUANGZHOU, CHINA—The host country will run away with a bulk of the gold medals. Japan and South Korea will make the most out of silver linings. And the Philippines will be content with whatever little victories it can pick up.
About the only thing tough to predict in these 16th Asian Games?
Who will light the cauldron when the covers are lifted off the quadrennial meet Friday.
This commercial and industrial hotbed in China’s southern parts will unveil an expectedly flamboyant opening ceremony that will rival the drama produced by the 2008 Beijing Olympics and serve as the perfect prelude to Saturday’s first day of competitions.
The host country has given these Games the tagline “Thrilling games, harmonious Asia” and stressed that competition will only be secondary to the city’s bid to improve its way of life.
“What we care about most is not how many world records will be created in the Guangzhou Asiad,” Zhang Guangning, the secretary general of the Games’ organizing committee, told reporters recently. “The reason why we are holding this big event, after all, is to give our people a better life in this city.”
But make no mistake about it. China will dominate these Games.
The hosts will pick up from the Beijing Olympiad, where they toppled powerhouse United States from the top of the medal standings with 51 golds.
China won 166 gold medals in the 2006 Asiad in Doha, Qatar, 58 more than the combined golds harvested by South Korea (58) and Japan (50)—the two countries locked in a tight battle for No. 2.
The Philippines has admitted that it hasn’t figured where its collection of victories will come from, although boxing, taekwondo and billiards are perennial hopes.
Dancesport, which will be making its Asian Games debut, is a darkhorse to provide the country with a few bright spots while the Smart Gilas national team, however it fares, will continue to hog the spotlight.
“We’re really going to do our best,” promised dancesport association director Emma del Carmen Nieto, who, together with international adjudicator Gloria Alcala, will serve as acting head coach.
Dancesport will be the key event in Saturday’s heavy schedule, which will also include preliminaries in swimming, where Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima, the reigning Olympic champion in the 100-meter and 200m breaststroke, will lead a crack team that hopes to churn a medal machine for his country.
“We want to win 50 to 60 golds to either surpass or tie with South Korea and close in on China as much as possible,” Noriyuki Ichiahara, Japan’s chief of mission, told reporters recently.
South Korea, bidding to crash Japan’s pool party, boasts a squad bannered by Doha Asiad 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle champion and Olympic gold medalist Park Tae-hwan.
Smart Gilas, a team composed of former college aces and beefed up by millionaire professionals, kicks off its bid for a podium finish against Kuwait Saturday.
The national basketball squad is merely using this to prepare for next year’s London Olympics qualifiers, but will be the most followed team back in the basketball-crazy archipelago.
The Philippines officially became part of the Athletes’ Village during a flag-raising ceremony at noon Thursday.
Chief of mission Joey Romasanta and commissioner Chito Loyzaga of the Philippine Sports Commission headlined the group that attended the ceremony.
Several teams came to join in the ceremonial event, including the chess team that came in full force, led by Grandmasters Wesley So and Eugene Torre.
Former equestrian Mikee Cojuangco has been designated flag-bearer of the national delegation in the opening ceremonies, making her the second noncompetitor to carry the flag for the country in the parade of nations.
Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao did the job for the Philippines in the Beijing Olympics.
Part of the parade will be held on boats that will glide through the Pearl River until it reaches Haixinsha Island, where the opening ceremony will take place. This alone will make the Guangzhou opening different as it breaks away from the confines of stadiums.
“You will see athletes parade into the ceremony on boats,” said Chen Weiya, the opening ceremony chief director.
He has refused to reveal, though, the torch bearer who will light the Games’ cauldron.