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SMILES, TEARS of joy and cries of anguish will be seen and heard as the region's elite athletes go for gold at the fortnight-long 14th Asian Games starting in the South Korean sea port of Busan on Sunday.

China, Japan and South Korea have dominated the Games at different times, and the trend is set to continue.

Since 1982, China has been top medal winner, and will again be the nation to beat.

The country is expected to dominate in table tennis, badminton, rowing, shooting, swimming and diving.

Officials of China's diving team recently announced the aim was to win all eight gold medals. Tian Liang shot to fame at the 2000 Sydney Olympics winning gold for China in the men's springboard event, and is expected to do the same in the 10 metre platform event at the Asian Games, unless he is ambushed by teammates Xu Xiang and Hu Jian.

Li Na, Li Ting, Lao Lishi and Guo Jingjing are China's main contenders in women's diving.

In table tennis, China has a phenomenal record, sweeping gold medals in the men's and women's events at the last two Olympics, and at the 2001 World Championships in Osaka.

The team includes the men's and women's world number ones - Wang Liqin and Wang Nan respectively -plus five others ranked in the top 10.

But this time it won't be so easy for China as they are expected to face strong challenges from North Korea and hosts South Korea.

China's basketball team, including NBA hopeful Yao Ming, will want to bounce back from miserable results at the recent World Championships in the United States.

Queen of Asian soccer, Sun Wen, will lead China's women's team which will need to be on top form to overcome host nation South Korea and the challenge of North Korea who beat them twice last year.

South Korean soccer is brimming with confidence after the national team made it to the World Cup semi-finals in June. Swarms of Korean fans wearing the now famous 'Be The Reds' T-shirts and chanting 'Dae han mind guk' (Republic of Korea) will give the team a competitive edge in Busan.

But most of the players from the World Cup won't be included for the Games because this is a competition for players under 23.

Their main rivals for the title are expected to be China, North Korea and 1998 Asian Games gold medallist Iran.

Japan is a regional powerhouse in swimming, judo, baseball and athletics.

Look out for swimmers Kitajima Kosuke in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke, and Yamada Sachikoin the women's freestyle. Both excelled in the recent Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama.

Japan's judo hero Shinichi Shinohara, who lost the Olympic gold two years ago on a controversial judging decision, will lay claims to gold in the 100 kg event in Busan.

Read about Hong Kong's medal chances in Young Post on Friday.



Stars in their eyes