The Hong Kong team considered themselves unlucky to face the Japanese favourites - and a side that they have rarely ever beaten - in the semi-finals and they duly found themselves outclassed and 12-0 down at half-time.

However as chants echoed around the arena from an increasingly partisan crowd, which despite the weather included a vocal topless contingent, Hong Kong did what all champions do and found a way to fight back and win 19-12 in a game which epitomised the cliché "a game of two halves."

Thailand had been similarly strong in their semi-final as they outclassed Chinese Taipei but after suffering several injuries in that match they found an inspired Hong Kong too strong in a final that they lost 31-12.

Japan had already won the women's final by defeating host nation China.

Hong Kong supporters enjoying the rain - and the rugby - as their team defied the odds to win a memorable gold medal


While the Rugby Sevens produced one of the best atmospheres of the week the medal matches in table tennis were a slight anti-climax as both finals consisted of two Chinese players competing - albeit fiercely and sometimes brilliantly - in front of a crowd which was surprisingly small considering what a popular sport it is in these parts.

Gaoyang Liu beat Chaohui Zhu by four games to three in the women's singles before Zhendong Fan cruised home 4-1 over Jingkun Liang in the men's, with Liang's foul serve into the net on match point down epitomising a game which promised far more than it delivered.

In the pool a new heroine was born in South Korea's Jinyoung Park, who won the women's 200 metres butterfly before returning to win a second gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay, while Zheng Wen Quah of Singapore won the men's 200m butterfly.

South Korea also won two gold medals in judo but China continued to lead the way with seven titles, three of them coming in weightlifting and two each in athletics and fencing.

There was also first gold medals of the week for Saudi Arabia courtesy of Hussain Al Hizam in the pole vault and for Kazakhstan through Vladislav Mukhamediyev in the skeet shooting.

Swimmers get underway in the semi-finals of the women's 100 metre backstroke




Elsewhere, Malaysian star Vanessa Raj Gnanasigamani won the women's squash after defeating yesterday's semi-final epic winner Pansy Pui Hei Chan of Hong Kong 3-1 in the final.

There was also a first title here for an Indian in Kush Kumar, albeit while competing as an independent athlete due to his country being banned  from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in the men's singles.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
August 2013: Squash teaches core Youth Games values
August 2013: Exclusive - "We have to put sport at the service of human kind" claims Ser Miang Ng
August 2013: "Sport is in the life of everybody and no one can live without it" says OCA President
August 2013: Host nation's pocket powerhouse lifts her way to the first gold at Asian Youth Games
August 2013: Asian Youth Games Opening Ceremony combines best of Beijing and London in great advert for Nanjing