Asian Games: Footballer banned for drug use

THERE was honour and dishonour in Hiroshima on the sixth day of the Asian Games, with a Chinese swimmer setting a world record and a Thai footballer banned for drug use, the first athlete to prove positive since the Games started last Sunday.

The 20-year-old Thai whose name has not been officially announced yet, was one of their most high-profile players and left for home before his country lost yesterday's match with Uzbekistan 5-4 through a goal in the last seconds. Thai officials said his blood showed amphetamines when he was tested after a match on Wednesday against Saudi Arabia.

China were supreme in the medals table with 54 golds, followed by Japan and South Korea, both with 20 golds. Japan held second place because of 18 silvers to South Korea's eight.

It was their women swimmers who again did China proud, with 17-year-old Lu Bin achieving a world record in the 200 metres individual medley. Her time of 2min 11.57sec lopped .08sec off the world mark set by team-mate Lin Li at the Barcelona Olympics.