HANGZHOU: Japan ended North Korea’s hopes of a fairytale football gold with a 4-1 thrashing in the Asian Games final after the Philippines won their first basketball gold since 1962 and breakdancing made its debut in a whirlwind of baggy pants and pounding beats.

The Games meanwhile recorded a seventh doping case,this one involving 19-year-old Mongolian weightlifter Erdenezul Buyandelger.

She has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned steroid, the International Testing Agency said. She has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample.

A three-goal burst in the second half at Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium secured Japan back-to-back titles in the women’s football event and left North Korean fans wiping away tears.

Without a FIFA world ranking and playing their first international football since before Covid-19, the Koreans held Japan to 1-1 at halftime with the support of Chinese fans but ultimately crumbled to miss out on a fourth gold medal in the event.

China demolished Uzbekistan 7-0 in the bronze medal playoff.

Celebrations erupted across the basketball-mad Philippines after they finally got their hands on gold again with a 70-60 win over Jordan in the men’s final.

American-born Justin Brownlee was their standout performer, pouring in 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Former Brooklyn Nets starter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored a game-high 24 points but it was not enough to inspire Jordan to a first basketball Asian Games gold in their history.

A year out from breakdancing’s debut at the Paris Olympics, ‘b-boys’ and ‘b-girls’ competed in the qualifying rounds, performing tricks to ear-splitting jams in front of a panel of judges and several thousand spectators.

Along with esports’ debut as a medal event in Hangzhou, organisers hope “breaking” can help lure young viewers turned off by traditional Games sports.

A counter-cultural art-form born in the streets of New York City decades ago, breakdance is now judged against broad criteria in competition.

Making its Asiad debut even more significant, qualification for the Paris Games is up for grabs along with medals in Hangzhou.

In more traditional sport, India thrashed holders Japan 5-1 to reclaim the men’s hockey title they last held in 2014. They also nabbed a spot for Paris.

In weightlifting, China’s Liu Huanhua bulked up for the 109kg division and stunned Uzbekistan’s Olympic champion Akbar Djuraev, only weeks after winning the 102kg world title in Saudi Arabia. Liu hoisted a combined 418kg to pip twice world champion Djuraev by a kilogram.

His compatriot Liang Xiaomei, a four-times world champion, coasted to the women’s 87kg title.

Djuraev’s disappointment was not the first blow for Uzbekistan at the hands of the hosts.

Their canoe slalom silver medallist Anvar Klevleev was in line for gold in the men’s event with a total run time of 98.63 seconds.

But the gold ended up with home competitor Xie Yuancong who successfully appealed against a 50-second penalty for missing a gate on the course.

The equestrian programme wrapped up, with Abdullah Al-Sharbatly trotting away with his sixth Asian Games gold for Saudi Arabia after winning the individual jumping title.

Al-Sharbatly also claimed a fourth team gold after titles at the 2006, 2010 and 2018 Games.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2023