Thais target takraw double

Thais target takraw double

Thailand are expected to win two gold medals today when their men's and women's sepak takraw teams both meet South Korea in the regu finals.

Thailand, red, meet South Korea in the women's regu final. Pattarapong Chatpattarasill

Having won the men's and women's team titles, Thailand will be hot favourites against the hosts in the gold medal matches today, the penultimate day of the 17th Asian Games.

In yesterday's semi-finals, the Thai men, featuring Pornchai Kaokaew, Sittipong Khamchan and Pattarapong Yupadee, comfortably beat Malaysia 21-9, 21-8, while South Korea defeated Myanmar 21-11, 17-21, 21-16.

Thailand coach Kamol Tankimhong said: "We played very well and the Malaysians made a lot of mistakes.

"We are happy to reach the final again. We won't underestimate South Korea but I am confident that we will win."

In the women's semi-finals, Thailand defeated Indonesia 21-19, 21-11 while South Korea came from behind to beat China 19-21, 21-12, 21-13.

Light-welterweight Wutthichai Masuk will fight South Korea's Lim Hyun-Chul in the men's 64kg boxing final today after beating Aziz Bebitov of Turkmenistan 3-0.

In yesterday's action, taekwondo fighter Akkarin Kitwijarn got silver after losing to South Korea's Lee Dae-Hoo in the men's 63kg final.

Songvut Muntaen won bronze in taekwondo, while the Thai women's kabaddi team also took bronze after losing to world and Asian Games champions India 41-28 in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Japan and China won the gold medals in the rugby sevens, affirming their status as the region's powerhouses in one of Asia's fastest growing sports.

Japan beat Hong Kong 24-12 in a free-flowing match to win the men's title for the third time in a row while China held on to beat Japan 14-12 in the women's decider.

Hong Kong levelled the scores at 12-12 midway through the second half when substitute Yiu Kam Shing scored a try with his first touch of the ball but Japan replied with two late tries to seal the win.

"It was a tough match but our players did really well under pressure," said Japan coach Tomohiro Segawa.

Japan regained the lead when Hong Kong lost the ball inside their own half and Tongan-born Lomana Lemeki, nicknamed the Terminator, scooped it up and raced away to score under the posts.

Hong Kong coughed up possession again in the final minute and Kazushi Hano finished off a well executed move to give Japan an unassailable 12-point lead.

"We always knew that Japan were going to be strong and it was just a couple of little things that went against us that made the difference," said Hong Kong's Welsh coach Gareth Baber.

China won the women's title for the first time after surviving a late fightback from a smaller but faster Japanese team.

Rugby sevens has been on the Asian Games programme since 1998 but with the sport having been added to the Olympics from 2016, the game's popularity is rapidly growing and the stakes are rising.

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