Games-Hosts China claim first gold of Asian Games

HANGZHOU, China : Asian Games hosts China claimed the first gold of the continental sporting showpiece on Sunday when Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping won the lightweight women's doubles sculls title in the rowing.

On an overcast morning at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre, the Chinese duo dominated, clocking a time of seven minutes and 6.78 seconds to finish nearly 10 seconds clear of Uzbek runners-up Luizakhon Islomova and Malika Tagmatova.

Indonesia took the bronze.

About 12,400 athletes from 45 nations are competing for 481 gold medals across a huge programme of 40 sports at the Hangzhou Games in eastern China, which were delayed by a year due to COVID-19.

China topped the medals table in the last 10 Asian Games and are almost certain to do so again on home soil.