China scored a quite important win when they edged South Korea 70-64 for their fifth Asian Games women's basketball gold medal on Thursday.

Their men counterparts will be expected to emulate their achievement when the team take on South Korea, the 55-51 winners over Japan, in their seventh Asian Games final meeting.

Wang Shipeng hit a three-pointer in the dying seconds to give the Chinese men's side a 68-65 semifinal win over Iran in one of the most popular sports in the games.

Probably more popular here is soccer that saw Japan overcome the United Arab Emirates 1-0 to seize the Asian Games title for the first time.

South Korea won the bronze after coming back from two goals down in the last 11 minutes to beat four time champions Iran.

Hockey, a less fancied sport here, is a big thing back in Pakistan where jubilant fans filled the streets after their national team beat Malaysia 2-0 for their second hockey gold medal in 20 years and the country's third in Guangzhou Asian Games.

India came third with a 1-0 win over South Korea.

Malaysia got some consolation from their women's team win in squash while Pakistan won the men's team.

Olympic diving champion He Chong, the last torch bearer in the opening ceremony, defended his men's 3m springboard glory before home folks while 14-year-old Hu Yadan eased to the women's platform win.

In boxing, China created their best result at the Asian Games with two golds and two silvers and more titles may come on Friday.

The Guangzhou Asiad saw the women's fight for the first time after the event was included into the London Olympics last August.

Newly-crowned world champion Ren Cancan became the first Asiad women boxing gold medalist after she beat Albania Annie of the Philippines 7-5 in the women's 51kg final.

Olympic silver medalist Zhang Zhilei won the men's over 91kg by beating Ivan Dychko of Kazakhstan 7-5 to bring the second gold.

Defending champion Hu Qing of China and his compatriot Chang Yong took the silver in men's 60kg and 52kg category, which were won by Indian Krishan Vikas and Rey Saludar of Philippines respectively.

Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan triumphed in the men's 69kg and the men's 81kg glory went to Elshod Rasulov of Uzbekistan.

On the track and field, Kazakhstan had three gold medals while Japan and India each had two.

Olga Rypakova, Doha Asian Games champion in heptathlon, leapt to win the women's triple jump while the grueling men's decathlon found a winner in Dmitriy Karpov. Margarita Matsko brought Kazakhstan a third gold in the women's 800m.

The Japanese team pocketed two titles on women's 200m through Chisato Fukushima and javelin throw through Yuki Ebihara.

Both men's and women's 400m hurdles titles went to India's Joseph Ganapathiplackal and Chidananda Ashwini Akkunji respectively.

China, South Korea, Qatar and Iran split the other four golds.

China's Si Tianfeng claimed the gold from men's 50km walking race. Saiad Moradi of Iran took the gold medal of men's 800m. South Korean Lee Yeon Kyung dominated women's 100m hurdles. Qatar's Femi Seun Ogunode lifted his second Guangzhou Asiad title with a personal best 20.43 on men's 200m.

Kazakhstan's joy was doubled as their men's water polo team squeezed past China 7-6 and the women's gymnasts defended the rhythmic gymnastics team title.

In the events that put the athletes' strength and stamina to a test, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan posted impressive wins on Thursday.

Uzbekistan clinched both the men's canoe single and double 1000m as well as Kayak four 1000m in the water sport while China grabbed the women's kayak four 500m and men's kayak double 1000m. Iranian Ahmadreza Talebian brought his country a first ever Asian Games canoe/kayak title by winning the kayak single 1000m.

The wrestling finals offered Uzbekistan's Artur Taymazov a gold medal in the men's freestyle 120kg and So Sim Hyang from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea took the women's freestyle 48kg. Reza Yazdani captured men's freestyle 96kg as Iran lifted the title in this particular category for the fourth time running.

Kazakh karatekas Darkhan Assadilov collected the 60kg victory while Rinat Sagandykov snatched the 67kg win.

China remain the invincible leaders with 181 gold, 104 silver and 91 bronze medals. South Korea are in a comfortable second on 72, 61, 85. Japan are third in 39, 68, 86.

Vietnamense Phuong Le Bich took the women's 55kg title while Manar Shath of Jordan won in the 68kg.

The Asian Games will close on Saturday after 16 days.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2010)