African-born runners dominating distance events

African-born runners dominating distance events

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dpa German Press Agency
Published: Saturday December 9, 2006

Doha, Qatar- ATHLETICS - It was a good day for African-born runners at the Asian Games with the top three in Saturday's 10,000 metres all being "imported" runners from the African continent. Bahrain's Hasan Mahboob - as he is now known - won ahead of Qatar's Essa Ismail Rashed and teammate Aadam Ismaeel Isa. To crown a good day at the races for Africa, Zenebech Tola Kotu from Ethiopia won the women's 800m, running as Maryam Yusuf Jamal and competed for Bahrain.

DOPING - Officials announced the first positive doping test. They said Myanmar weightlifter Than Kyi Kyi had tested positive for the banned diuretic furosemide.

Former world champion Than, 28, had earlier finished fourth in the women's 48kg category. After a hearing and her decision to wave her right to a b-sample, her result from the competition was cancelled, and she was disqualified from the Games.

EQUESTRIAN - Many of the horses being used during the equestrian competition come from non-Asian countries, with Belgium, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as some of the horses' homes. When Taiwan coach Bernd Schulze-Topphoff saw Malaysian rider Mahamad Fathil's horse called Parvina (Arabic for shining star), he immediately recognized it as a horse he once knew as Polly that was born on his brother's farm in Germany.

FOOTBALL - Uzbekistan players had plenty to moan about after they lost their quarter-final clash against Iraq 2-1 after extra time. The main target of their criticism was Malaysian referee Krishnan Ramachandran, who booked 14 players and sent three off.

Defender Aleksandr Kletskov said: "He is crazy. I just want to say that." Striker Kamoliddin Murzoyev said the Uzbek team would not come back to the Asian Games if Ramachandran continues to officiate at future tournaments.

Murzoyev also complained that their game was brought forward to accommodate Qatar's wish of wanting to play their match earlier. "They do whatever they want to do," he complained.

HANDBALL - Hosts Qatar had a simple passage into the semi-finals of the handball tournament after their opponents in the final group game, Saudi Arabia, failed to come back after being told to change.

As the teams were about to start their match, the referee noticed that both sides were wearing white, and the Saudi team was told that they should change into their green shirts. They left the field but never returned, and the match was awarded 10-0 to Qatar by forfeit.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency