Indonesia aiming high in China

At the last event in Doha years ago, it managed just two, in comparison to China's 165.

Officials hope to do better this time round in the Guangzhou Games that start on November 12.

"We only received two gold medals in the previous Asiad in Doha. This time, God willing, we aim to get more than that," Indonesia Sport Council (KONI) chairwoman Rita Subowo told AFP.

Nearly 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions will compete for 476 gold medals at the November showpiece.

"Out of 22 sports that Indonesia will compete, we aim to reach for victory in at least seven sports. We plan to send about 140 athletes to Guangzhou," added Subowo.

She said Indonesia had a good chance to collect medals in badminton, karate, bowling, beach volley, weightlifting, wushu, and dragon boat.

Indonesia, which has the fourth largest population in the world, ranked only 22 overall in Doha in which it sent 131 athletes to compete in 20 sports.

Besides gold medals from badminton in men's singles and bowling, the archipelago nation collected four silver and 14 bronze.

Ryan Lalisang, a men's bowling gold medallist in Qatar, is scheduled to compete in Guangzhou, while badminton superstar and Athens Olympic gold medalist Taufik Hidayat will also be in contention.

Hidayat, who won in Doha and at Busan in 2002, is famous for his staggering backhand smash.

"Our biggest threat for badminton will come from China. But we are ready to face them," KONI spokesman Firmansyah Gindo said, pointing out that Hidayat reached the final at the badminton world championships in Paris this year.

Sports and Youth Ministry development official Djohar Arifin Husin said that despite tough competition from China and South Korea, anything could happen during the Asiad badminton.

"Their sense of pride in supporting Indonesia as a nation can give them fighting spirit and boost their performance," Husin said of his country's players.

Indonesian Karate Organisation chief Hendardji Supandji, meanwhile, said the country had four potential winners.

"Our best athletes will compete there. They are Umar Syarif, Jintar Simanjuntak, Donny Darmawan and Yolanda Asmoro," Supandji said.

"The Asian Games is similar to the world championship. Our toughest competitors come from Japan and Iran."

Indonesia's 100-metre sprinter Suryo Agung Wibowo, also known as Southeast Asia's fastest man, will be running and said he aimed to improve the record he set at he 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Laos of 10.17 seconds.

"It'll be a tough competition. But I aim to stand at the podium in Guangzhou," Wibowo said.

"The weather and wind factors during the competition in China will matter." Indonesia was one of 11 countries to participate at the first Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951, and is one of only 10 to have competed in all 15 Games.