2018 Asian Games: China to face Iran for bronze in men's water polo

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03:15

Now we head to the pool for men's water polo, where defending champions Kazakhstan returned to the gold medal match with a 9-8 victory over China in the semi-finals. The loss means the PRC will now try to win bronze at a second straight Asian Games when they take on Iran, who fell to Japan 18-7 on the other side of the bracket. Damion Jones has the story.

Defending men's water polo champions Kazakhstan would not have an easy time in the Asian Games semi-finals, but just manage to turn back a spirited challenge from China, and keep alive their hopes of a continental repeat. The PRC's latest shot at their first gold in 12 years denied, when a potential tying goal is ruled out, as the titleholders prevail 9-8.

WU HONGHUI CHINA CAPTAIN "I am so proud of my teammates in spite of the result. We were behind since the first quarter, but we evened the score before the break. We had to keep trying, but they are much more experienced than us."

The Chinese and Kazakh teams share the all-time lead in water polo crowns at the Asian Games, with both teams topping the podium five times apiece. The PRC won four straight titles from 1978 through 1990, and added a fifth in 2006, but have experienced more downs than ups in recent years.

WU HONGHUI CHINA CAPTAIN & GOALKEEPER "European and American athletes are good at physical contact, so we need to improve our swimming skills and long-range shooting to deal with them better."

China's pool of potential roster members is not very big, as there are only around 100 professional players in the country, and the discipline has very limited visibility. In addition, the PRC's last Olympic appearance was in 2008 on an automatic bid, as the multi-sport spectacle was held in Beijing.

WU HONGHUI CHINA GOALKEEPER "China has 1.4 billion people, and I am so proud that I can represent my country in competing on the international stage."

And the next mission for China after the Asian Games, will be attempting to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Damion Jones, CGTN.