China win 151st gold in Doha

DOHA, Dec 14 (Reuters) China scooped up their 151st gold medal at the 15th Asian Games today, beating their total from the 2002 Games in Pusan with two days to go.

Yuan Xiaochao claimed their 151st gold in the martial art wushu.

Seconds earlier, clad in yellow and red spandex, cyclist Li Yan put on a burst of speed at the velodrome to take the women's points race and make the 150 milestone.

The world's most populous nation leads the medals table by some distance -- second-placed South Korea are 100 behind.

China are still way off their Games record of 183, which they won on home soil in Beijing 16 years ago.

They have plenty of opportunity to add to their haul later today, however, with Chinese athletes continuing to dominate in Doha.

The Chinese can win their first Asian Games hockey gold when their men take on defending champions South Korea as the sport in Asia undergoes a radical shift in power.

China have never featured strongly in hockey but their drive to succeed in all sports with the Beijing Olympics looming in 2008 has sparked radical progress.

''We have practised a lot of technical moves... we have been preparing for two years,'' Chinese captain Song Yi said.

Fresh from her victory in the women's tennis singles, Zheng Jie is favourite to claim her second gold medal when she partners Yan Zi in the women's doubles final at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.

The Chinese top seeds meet Taiwan's Chan Yung Jan and Chuang Chia Jung.

China did not have it all their way, however.

Taiwan staged a stunning recovery to shock them 10-7 in a softball thriller and qualify for the gold medal game against Japan later today.

''Small cerebral mistakes at the highest level of play really hurt you,'' Chinese coach Michael Bastian said. ''We need to get a lot tougher.'' REUTERS SAM VV1711