North Korean lifters smash records at Asian Games

Published

2 years ago

September 30, 2023

Hosts China romped to gold in the men’s and women’s 100m sprints at the Asian Games as North Korea’s weightlifters scorched several world records on an action-packed Saturday.

Golds were up for grabs on a damp day in Hangzhou in everything from diving and eSports to athletics and roller skating, AFP reported.

China inevitably hoovered up many of them to take them to 114 golds in total at the halfway stage of the competition, well clear of Japan (28 golds) and South Korea (27).

The 100m sprints are among the most prestigious events of any Games and it was two Chinese speedsters who thrilled the raucous crowd with victories at the 80,000-capacity Hangzhou Olympic stadium.

First, Ge Manqi raced to the line in 11.23sec to take the women’s crown and then Xie Zhenye made it a double home delight with his winning time of 9.97sec for the men’s title.

Among other notable performances in track and field, the world’s number-two ranked pole vaulter EJ Obiena of the Philippines cleared 5.90m for gold and a Games record.

He admitted to mixed feelings, having relegated home favorite Huang Bokai to silver.

“The challenge is I feel a little bit like a villain today — it’s not my medal,” he said.

There were some eye-popping performances from North Korea’s women weightlifters.

They were competing at an international event for the first time since December 2019 after the country sealed its borders because of the pandemic.

But that did not stop them from shattering a slew of world records.

Ri Song Gum broke two world records in the women’s 49kg, the first weightlifting event in Hangzhou.

Then Kang Hyong Yong, a 24-year-old with no international pedigree, set a hat-trick of world records in snatch, clean and jerk, and combined on her way to gold in the women’s 55kg class.

China’s world champion Jiang Huihua, who took silver, said she was “surprised” at Ri’s success after such a long absence.

There were tears on the podium as Ri and Kang saluted the North Korean flag — which was hoisted once again in contravention of a World Anti-Doping Agency edict.

WADA declared the country’s national anti-doping body “non-compliant” in 2021 and slapped it with sanctions, including not being able to fly the flag at continental events.

“I feel very happy about breaking the world record and when I see my national flag flying I feel very excited to bring this good news to my people,” said Ri.

Fierce rivalries took center stage.

North Korea thrashed South Korea 4-1 in a feisty quarter-final of the women’s football.

South Korea, led by the English coach Colin Bell, included players who featured at the recent Women’s World Cup, where they went out in the group phase.

The neighbors, who are still technically at war, were locked at 1-1 when South Korea forward Son Hwa-yeon was sent off for a second yellow card close to half time.

North Korea made the most of their numerical advantage to score three times in the second period for an ultimately comfortable victory, their players celebrating wildly at the full-time whistle.

Pakistan and arch-rivals India then clashed in the men’s hockey group stage.

The highly anticipated showdown turned out to be a mismatch, however, as India thrashed their neighbors 10-2.

India also got one over Pakistan in squash, edging them 2-1 in the final of the men’s team competition.

Table tennis shock

In other action, China’s Zhang Zhizhen won the men’s singles tennis, adding his gold to the one collected by Zheng Qinwen in the women’s singles a day earlier.

“It’s been a very, very tough week, not just this match, but very tough for the whole week actually, from the first match onwards,” said Zhang.

In table tennis, the hosts won all five golds five years ago and are a global superpower in the sport.

But they were on the end of three defeats in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

In the biggest shock, the 16th-ranked Indian women’s pair of Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee — not related — defeated world champions Chen Meng and Wang Yidi 3-1 to reach the last four.

Related Topics:#AsianGames #NorthKorean #Records ArianaNews featured

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ILT20: Russell and Rutherford fined for code of conduct breaches

Published

10 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Ariana News

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders all-rounders Andre Russell and Sherfane Rutherford have been fined for separate breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct following their DP World ILT20 Season 4 match against Sharjah Warriorz in Abu Dhabi on Monday night.

The sanctions were imposed by match referee Simon Taufel.

Rutherford was fined 50 percent of his match fee after being found guilty of breaching Article 2.2 for a second time this season. As a repeat offence, the incident was classified as a Level 2 breach.

Russell received a fine of 10 percent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.2, which relates to the abuse of cricket equipment, clothing, or ground fixtures during a match.

Sharjah Warriorz meanwhile held their nerve to secure a dramatic four-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on the final ball at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Chasing 135, the Warriorz were guided by an unbeaten 42 off 29 balls from James Rew, while Sikandar Raza added 28 as the pair stitched together a crucial partnership to take the team home. The win lifted Sharjah to six points with two matches remaining, tightening the race for the final playoff spots.

Earlier, Taskin Ahmed and Wasim Akram ripped through the Knight Riders’ top order, reducing them to 10/4 inside four overs. Sherfane Rutherford top-scored with 44 off 36, while late hitting from Andre Russell and Jason Holder pushed the total to 134/9. Adil Rashid starred with the ball for Sharjah, claiming three wickets.

Despite a tense finish that left 12 runs required from the final over, Rew and Rashid calmly saw the chase through to seal a vital victory for the Warriorz.

ILT20 is being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television across Afghanistan. Fans can tune in from 2pm today, Tuesday December 24, to watch MI Emirates take on Dubai Capitals.

International Sports

Ariana News to broadcast key AFC Champions League Two clash

The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.

Published

12 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Ariana News

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Iraq’s Al-Zawraa in a crucial AFC Champions League Two group-stage encounter tomorrow, Wednesday December 24, as both sides look to strengthen their positions in the competition.

The match will be played in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr will aim to make home advantage count following their strong performances earlier in the campaign.

With a squad packed with international stars and attacking depth, the Saudi club will be targeting another positive result to move closer to qualification for the knockout stages.

Al-Zawraa, one of Iraq’s most successful clubs, arrive determined to bounce back and keep their continental hopes alive.

Known for their discipline and resilience, the Baghdad-based side will be looking to frustrate the hosts and capitalize on any opportunities on the counterattack.

The encounter is expected to draw significant attention from football fans across the region, as the AFC Champions League Two continues to showcase competitive clashes between leading clubs.

The match will be broadcast across Afghanistan live and exclusively on Ariana News from 8:30pm.

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Afghanistan participates in Global Handball Congress as Asia reaffirms support

At the conclusion of the voting process, Egypt’s Hassan Moustafa was re-elected as President of the International Handball Federation, securing another four-year term.

Published

2 days ago

December 22, 2025

Ariana News

Afghanistan has participated in the Global Handball Congress held in Cairo, Egypt, with the head of the Afghanistan Handball Federation attending the international gathering alongside representatives from 107 member countries of the International Handball Federation (IHF).

The congress took place from December 19 to 22 and included elections for leadership positions within both the global and Asian handball governing bodies.

At the conclusion of the voting process, Egypt’s Hassan Moustafa was re-elected as President of the International Handball Federation, securing another four-year term.

At the continental level, Badr Mohammed Diyab Saleh Al-Diyab was elected President of the Asian Handball Federation.

Officials from the Afghanistan Handball Federation said that several meetings were held on the sidelines of the congress with senior international handball officials, including the newly elected Asian federation president.

According to the officials, the Asian handball chief reaffirmed continued support for the development and advancement of handball in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s participation in the global congress is being viewed as an important step toward strengthening international sports relations, attracting broader institutional support, and promoting the growth of handball in the country—a sport that has faced significant challenges and limitations in recent years.