China names youthful contingent to Asian Games

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02:15

China is sending a delegation of 845 athletes, including 19 Olympic champions, to the Asian Games which begin this month in Indonesia.

The team announced on Monday is dominated by newcomers, with three-fourths, 631, due to make their international debut in Jakarta.

The makeup echoes the sports governing body's call to embrace the quadrennial multi-sport event as a high-exposure test for the country's young talents ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

China has signed up to compete in 376 disciplines of 38 sports out of the 40 on offer at the 18th Asiad, which opens on Aug. 18 in Jakarta and runs through Sept. 2.

Chinese swimming star Sun Yang will target gold medals. /VCG Photo

Star athletes, such as three-time Olympic champion swimmer Sun Yang, men's 100m sprint national record holder Su Bingtian and Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Zhu Ting, will lead the Chinese fight for Asian dominance in mainstream events, including swimming, track and field and collective ball games, against rivals Japan, South Korea, Iran and Qatar.

The only two sports China won't compete are kabaddi, a contact team sport originating in India, and weightlifting, due to a one-year suspension imposed last October by the International Weightlifting Federation for doping violations at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The Chinese coaching team includes 38 foreigners.

Source(s): China Daily