At the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya-Aichi, Japan, 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi captured her second gold medal on Monday, posting the world’s fastest time this year in the women’s 200-meter individual medley. Yu finished the race in 2 minutes, 6.10 seconds, narrowly missing the world record held by Canadian Summer McIntosh by 0.40 seconds. The young athlete had previously won the 200-meter butterfly on Sunday, setting two Asian Games records in consecutive days, and expressed greater satisfaction with her second victory.
The swimming events also saw drama in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke, where Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi and China’s Dong Zhihao shared gold after a rare dead heat finish. Ohashi described mixed emotions following the tie, while Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey successfully defended her title in the women’s 200-meter freestyle.
The badminton competition was marred by the first doping case of the Games. Thailand’s 19-year-old rising star Pitchamon Opatniputh tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide and has been provisionally suspended by the International Testing Agency. At the time of the announcement, Opatniputh was set to compete against China in the team event.
Kuwaiti athletes continued to make an impact in martial arts, with Sayyed Al-Mousawi securing a bronze medal in the men’s individual kata karate after defeating Indonesia’s Christopher Edbert on Monday. This followed Abdullah Shaaban’s gold medal win on Sunday in the men’s 60kg kumite karate division. Additionally, Kuwait’s teqball doubles team earned a bronze medal. Meanwhile, Kuwait’s national handball team suffered a 26-23 defeat against South Korea in their second Group B match, which also includes Bahrain, Iran, and Kazakhstan. The closely contested game ended in a 12-12 tie at halftime, with South Korea pulling ahead in the final minutes. Kuwait, having opened their campaign with a win over Iran, will face Kazakhstan in their next match.
In women’s football, the anticipated group stage match between North and South Korea ended in a 1-1 draw at the Shizuoka stadium, which hosted matches during the 2002 World Cup. North Korea took the lead through Chae Un Yong in the first half, but South Korea’s Yun Su-jeong equalized in the second. The match was marked by limited interaction between players post-game, reflecting ongoing political tensions stemming from the unresolved Korean War.
Boxing competition at Nishio Gymnasium produced surprising results. In the men’s light-middleweight (70kg) category, former silver and bronze medalists from the previous Asian Games were both eliminated early. Taiwan’s Kan Chia-wei lost to Palestine’s Mohammed Issa, while Turkmenistan’s Bayramdurdy Nurmuhammedov was defeated by Bahrain’s Aly Abdalla. Abdalla attributed his victory to applying relentless pressure during the bout.
Making their debut at the Games, Palestine’s baseball team faced a heavy loss against the Philippines, 12-0, but emphasized the significance of participation amid ongoing conflict in Gaza since late 2023. Team leader Oney Roberto Guillen Cardenas highlighted the symbolic value of competing on the same stage as established teams, while teammate Hasan Ammar dedicated their efforts to fallen teammates and those affected by the conflict.
In gymnastics, China’s Zhang Boheng claimed gold in the men’s all-around event, overcoming injury challenges to surpass Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka and Daiki Hashimoto. Zhang has expressed confidence ahead of the upcoming world championships in Rotterdam and the Paris Olympics, noting improvements in his technical skills and mental maturity.
The Asian Games, which continue through October 4, feature participation from over 11,000 athletes representing 45 countries across 43 sports.