Turning gold into bronze, and back again
Incheon (South Korea) (AFP) - Brief stories from the Asian Games on Tuesday:
Turning gold into bronze -- and back again
Red faces at the Asian Games when the announcer at the women's team gymnastics medal ceremony declared, "The bronze medal goes to... China!" shortly after the Chinese had romped to a huge victory. A few moments of anxious whispering later, the correct bronze medallist -- Japan -- was read out. Perhaps the announcer had been given the script from the day before, when the Japanese men took gold with China languishing back in an unfamiliar third.
Coaches moan about Games volunteers
-Young volunteers -- numbered at a whopping 13,500 but mostly untrained -- often hamper games as they grab athletes to ask for autographs. Many star athletes are often mobbed by throngs of volunteers and even medical staffers asking for autographs once the game is over. Ryoo Joong-Il, the coach for the South Korean baseball team, complained to South Korean television on Sunday, "Volunteers are only busy collecting autographs. They should know athletes have so many things to do even after a match. Some even steal balls lying on the practice ground to get autographs on them. They don't seem to have been well trained."
Logo warning at badminton
In a warning against brand promotion, badminton referee Dennis Lee admonished teams for breaking the rules over the size of logos on their gear. One logo of 6 sq cm is permitted on socks, one of 20 sq cm on shirts and 60 sq cm on racket bags. "No bags with big logos are allowed," Li told a technical meeting, offering a unique solution for those who do not meet the Games criteria. "Players are not to bring bags (with oversized logos) on court themselves. If they don't want to carry the rackets by hand, they can use a shopping bag!" he suggested. Perhaps realising the absurdity of the likes of Lin Dan coming on court with a 7-11 carrier, Li added: "Just joking... but we are serious about this."
