Bali - Hosts Indonesia topped the medals tally as the curtain came down on the inaugural Asian Beach Games at a colourful closing ceremony here yesterday.
Indonesia picked up another gold on the concluding day in the men`s beach volleyball final to consolidate their position and finish with 23 gold, eight silver and 20 bronze and an aggregate of 51 medals.
Thailand took the second spot with 10 gold, 17 silver and 10 bronze. Powerhouse China, despite fielding a weakened team, proved good enough to take the third place with six gold, 10 silver and seven bronze for a total of 23 medals.
India moved up to the seventh position in the medals tally claiming their third gold after winning the beach basketball men`s final against Philippines 23-17. Malaysia took the bronze.
India bagged three gold and two bronze for a total of five medals. Pakistan with two gold and silver medals apiece and three bronze medals were 11th in the standings. Philippines finished 21st in the standings with two silver and eight bronze.
In the women`s beach basketball final, Japan got the better of Thailand 33-27 to pick up the gold. India defeated Malaysia 34-25 to take the bronze.
Meanwhile, Syrian swimmer Saleh Mohamed, who completed a golden double winning the men`s 10km Open Water marathon event yesterday to add to his previous winning effort in the men`s 5km category, was adjudged the `Samsung Most Valuable Player` of the Games.
In a clash of Gulf sides in the men`s beach soccer final, Oman powered past United Arab Emirates 3-1.
Bahrain beat South Korea 2-1 for the bronze to complete a 1-2-3 for Gulf teams.
In the men`s beach volleyball final, the Indonesian pair of Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro and Andy Ardiyansah struck gold defeating Kazakhstan `s Alexey Kulinich and Alexandr Dyachenko 21-18, 19-21, 16-14. In the women`s beach volleyball final, the Thai pair of Usa Tenpaksee and Jarunee Sannok downed compatriots Kamoltip Kulna and Yupa Phokongloy 32-34, 21-13, 15-12 for the top honours.
China `s Xue Li triumphed in the women`s 10km marathon swimming event clocking 2:09:21.1 sec finishing ahead of compatriot Yanqiao Fang. Hong Kong China `s Wing Yung Natasha Terri settled for the bronze.
In the other medals awarded in triathlon, Hong Kong China `s Chi Wo Daniel took the gold in the men`s section and China `s Yi Zhang finished in front in the women`s category.
Later, the first Asian Beach Games came to a close with a gala ceremony at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a monumental cultural park in Nusa Dua.
The ceremony featured traditional Indonesian dances and songs from the five major islands and Bali and it was performed by 150 dancers and some of the top singers of the host country.
Indonesian vice-president Muhammad Jusuf Kalla and Timothy Fok, vice-president, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) were present.
After the handover of the Asian Beach Games` torch from Indonesia to Oman , which welcomes the Games to Muscat in 2010, a performance by entertainers from Oman followed.
Source: http://www.gulf-times.com (October 27, 2008)
