{"id":12291,"date":"2023-10-09T01:39:08","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T01:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/philippines-basketball-glory-to-chopra-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-10-09T01:39:08","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T01:39:08","slug":"philippines-basketball-glory-to-chopra-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/philippines-basketball-glory-to-chopra-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Philippines basketball glory to Chopra | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nCHINA:
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The Asian Games in Hangzhou witnessed some world-class performances over two weeks of action in 40 sports.<\/p>\n

AFP Sport picks out five who excelled:<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old sprinter took a leap of faith earlier this year and was rewarded in Hangzhou with 200m gold.<\/p>\n

She gave up her job as a copywriter to become a full-time runner and it paid off as she won Singapore’s first athletics Asian Games gold in 49 years.<\/p>\n

“When I had the chance I jumped right in,” said Pereira, who also took home 100m silver.<\/p>\n

“What a season. It’s been so crazy, it means a lot to me. I can’t really describe this.”<\/p>\n

No one was prouder than her parents watching from the stands as Pereira draped herself in the Singapore flag and burst into tears.<\/p>\n

“I just got emotional,” said dad Clarence. “I’m still in a daze.”<\/p>\n

North Korea’s weightlifters shocked their rivals after re-emerging from four years of Covid isolation to top the competition with some record-breaking performances.<\/p>\n

They started with a bang on the opening day of weightlifting as Ri Song Gum broke two world records in the women’s 49kg.<\/p>\n

Kang Hyong Yong, a little-known 24-year-old, then set a hat-trick of world records on her way to gold in the women’s 55kg class.<\/p>\n

North Korea’s lifters won six golds, five silvers and two bronzes.<\/p>\n

The haul prompted team manager Jang Song Nam to declare: “We are world leaders now. We wanted to show our strength and we did it.”<\/p>\n

They won’t be able to flex their muscles next year at the Paris Olympics — they are not eligible after missing qualifying events.<\/p>\n

Untouchable Chinese butterfly specialist Zhang Yufei reinforced her status as a major threat at the Paris Olympics with a dominant showing in the Hangzhou pool and winning the Games MVP award.<\/p>\n

The Olympic and world champion won six gold medals, more than anyone else, winning the 50m, 100m and 200m fly, 50m freestyle and helping China surge to two relay titles.<\/p>\n

All her times were highly competitive and the 25-year-old said it gave her confidence leading into Paris.<\/p>\n

“I hope to present a stable, improved version of myself at every race and that will help me be more confident in myself as I go towards Paris,” she said.<\/p>\n

The world and Olympic champion from India conjured up a mammoth throw to win gold in style at the Hangzhou Olympic Stadium.<\/p>\n

Under pressure after teammate Kishore Kumar Jena produced a huge personal best of 87.54m, Chopra responded with a season’s best 88.88m — longer than the 88.17m that won him the world title at Budapest in August.<\/p>\n

“It feels great when we push each other to go farther and farther,” Chopra said of competing against his compatriot.<\/p>\n

Kumar Jena was content to finish behind his “idol”. “Keep watching, you will see more of us in the future too,” he warned.<\/p>\n

A first Asian Games basketball gold for 61 years sparked an outpouring of joy across the hoops-mad nation after the “Gilas” beat Jordan 70-60.<\/p>\n

The nation of 110 million people was glued to television or phone screens to watch the Gilas — meaning panache — end more than half a century of hurt.<\/p>\n

“It feels great, man,” said Ivory Coast-born Angelo Kouame.<\/p>\n

“It means a lot after all these years, and that’s bigger than all of us.”<\/p>\n

The Philippines won Asiad gold four times in a row from 1951 to 1962 but had made just one final since, in 1990, when they went down to China.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n