The 2018 Asian Games has witnessed some truly incredible performances over the last two weeks. Some have been historic, some have been truly special and some have been underrated and yet exceptional. Here is a look at five standout performers from the event thus far.
Iran's women's kabaddi team clinches historic gold:
In a massive upset, perhaps the biggest one of the Asian Games 2018, Iran's women's Kabaddi team won the title with a 27-24 thriller over India. India, which has dominated the sport since its inception, was leading 7-3 initially but fell off the trail as the Iranian women team showed great gumption and fight to claw their way back to usurp the confident Indian women's team.
Incidentally, the Iran men's Kabaddi team also shocked India in the semifinals of the event and ended their 28-year dominance in the sport.
Hidilyn Diaz wins gold for Philippines:
Philippines' first gold medal in the Asian Games came courtesy weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz. The 27-year-old clinched a gold in the 53-kg event and managed a total lift of 207kg, beating Turkmenistan's Kristina Shermetova (206kg) and Thailand's Surodchana Khambao (201kg) comfortably. Hailing from Zamboanga City, Hidilyn was in tears after she was given the medal at the awards ceremony and has become an instant inspiration to her country.
China wins gold in men's team artistic gymnastics:
In what was the most clinical and stand-out performance for the Chinese in the Asian Games 2018, the men's team of Shudi Deng, Wei Sun, Ruoteng Xiiao, Jingyuan Zou and Chaopan Lin swept a comfortable gold in the artistic gymnastics by earning 260.950 points.
It was a terrific and flawless performance that completely mesmerized the crowd. While China has dominated the Asian Games comprehensively, this particular performance was special as they beat arch-rival Japan to reclaim the gold medal.
Japanese teenager Rikako Ikee becomes first woman to win six gold medals in Asian Games
18-year-old Rikako Ikee has left an indelible mark at the Asian Games 2018. Thus far, she is the undisputed golden girl of the event after winning a record-breaking six gold medals. Last week, the teenager won the women's 50-meter freestyle, beating her rival from China by seconds, and thus became the first woman to win six gold medals in the Asiad. Ikee also won gold in the 100 freestyle, the 50 and 100 butterfly, the 4x100 freestyle and the 4x100 medley.
Defia Rosmaniar wins Indonesia's first gold at Asian Games 2018:
Indonesia's Defia Rosmaniar won the country's first gold medal at the Asian Games 2018 with a brilliant performance in the women's individual Poomsae. The 23-year-old recorded 8.690 points in the final – the second best was 8.470 scored by Marjan Salahsouri of Iran.
Incidentally, Defia had already won a gold in the same category at the Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Vietnam earlier this year. But the Asiad gold by the spirited woman would come as a shot in the arm for the sport in the country which made its Asiad debut this year.
