Qatar wins the "Padel" gold medal... and South Korea crowned in football

With this victory, Qatar raised its medal tally in the Asian Games to five golds, six silvers, and five bronzes.

Following the win, the two champions expressed their overwhelming joy in an interview with beIN Sports, with 19-year-old Meshal saying: "I can't believe what happened. I only started playing professionally two years ago and today I win the gold. We didn't lose a single set and delivered a high-level performance."

His 21-year-old brother Rashed did not hide the difficulty of the start and the heavy pressure on the duo, emphasizing that this is "the first, not the last gold."

This triumph comes as the fruit of Qatar's immense attention to padel, highlighted by the presence of the President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, at the final to congratulate the winners.

Qatar's Tariq Zainal, President of the Asian Federation, also said: "The hope is in Meshal and Rashed. This is a beginning, not an end. We have a strong team, and we hope to compete in the Islamic Solidarity Games and the World Championship."

However, Qatar national team captain Mohammed Saadon Al Kuwari warned against settling for this achievement, stressing the importance of preparing for upcoming tournaments such as the World Championship and the Gulf Championship.

He praised the intensive preparation that led to this achievement, starting with training in Barcelona and arriving early, 10 days before the start of the Games.

In the women's event, Japan claimed the gold after Saki Tsukamoto and Kai Tokumoto defeated Indonesia's Fadona Kusumawati and Fitriani Sabatini 6-3, 6-4.

On the other hand, South Korea won the men's football gold medal after beating hosts Japan 1-0 in Saturday's final, dispelling some of the gloomy atmosphere that followed their disastrous World Cup campaign and a series of controversies that damaged the sport in the country.

Um Ji-sung, who plays for Welsh club Swansea City, scored the only goal of the match with a powerful shot in the 60th minute, handing the Koreans their fourth consecutive title in front of 30,000 spectators at Toyota Stadium near Nagoya.

Japan was seeking its first gold medal since 2010 under the guidance of Go Oiwa, who will take charge of the senior national team after next year's Asian Cup.

Football matches at the Asian Games are played between under-23 teams, with three overage players permitted.

South Korea endured a miserable World Cup in North America this year, exiting in the group stage following a shock defeat to South Africa.

Coach Hong Myung-bo resigned, but his departure failed to appease public anger over the disappointing campaign, instead raising further questions about the manner of his appointment.

Police raided the Korea Football Association headquarters in August as part of an investigation into Hong's 2024 appointment.

Um, who was part of the World Cup squad, brought joy to the Korean fans with a brilliant goal, unleashing a left-footed strike against the run of play.

The victory secured exemption from military service for the South Korean players.

Most able-bodied South Korean men are required to perform at least 18 months of military service, but the government grants exemptions to winners of Asian Games gold medals or any Olympic medal.

The players of this team followed in the footsteps of senior team captain Son Heung-min and Spanish club Atlético Madrid playmaker Lee Kang-in.

South Korea's lineup featured several players with European experience, and Um nearly opened the scoring early on, but his effort went over the crossbar.

Japan, fielding an under-21 team mostly playing in the domestic league, suffered a blow when forward Uchi Nwadike was stretchered off midway through the first half with a knee injury.

Although the hosts created the more dangerous chances, Um scored the decisive goal to hand South Korea the title, despite one of Japan's late efforts hitting the post.

Cricket and Golf

India clinched the cricket gold on Saturday by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in a heavily attended final, while South Korea's Tom Kim claimed the men's golf gold, thereby avoiding military service.

On the final full day of competition in Aichi-Nagoya, gold medals were up for grabs across multiple sports, including cricket, golf, tennis, breaking, field hockey, and rugby sevens.

China leads the medal standings with 169 golds, far ahead of hosts Japan (83).

Attention turned to a converted baseball stadium hosting world-class cricket and a clash between rivals whose animosity extends beyond the boundaries of sport.

Due to years of lingering political tensions, nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan only meet in cricket during international tournaments and on neutral ground.

The two team captains refused the traditional pre-match handshake.

As the match got underway, India won by 19 runs following an exciting encounter in front of a small yet noisy crowd.

After the match, Indian players paraded the national flag around the 2,500-capacity Kurayoshi Athletic Park.

Washington Sundar said after helping India retain the title: "It was definitely a great game of cricket."

He added: "It's really great to win the gold medal."

After India posted the highest total in the tournament, Pakistan faced a tough task from the start.

More than just a gold

Tom Kim shot a stunning final-round six-under-par 64 to clinch the golf gold.

He let out a roar of "Let's go!" after sinking a par putt on the final hole to celebrate a three-stroke victory following a stellar round that included five birdies and an eagle.

His teammates swarmed him, draped the South Korean flag over his shoulders, and doused him with water.

The World No. 32 said: "It feels crazy," after crossing 14 time zones to compete in the Asian Games following his participation in the Presidents Cup.

He added: "I'm just glad it's over. I think this was the longest day of my life."

Kim knew that more than just a gold medal was at stake.

Able-bodied South Korean men are typically required to perform military service ranging from 18 months to two years before turning 28.

However, the Seoul government grants an exemption to winners of Asian Games gold medals or any Olympic medal, meaning they only have to complete four weeks of light basic training.

This allows the 24-year-old Kim to continue his flourishing career, having previously topped the Asian Tour Order of Merit and won four PGA Tour titles.

Grateful to be alive

Coleman Wong eagerly checked his phone for a message from Rafael Nadal after the Hong Kong player won the tennis gold medal and secured an Olympic spot.

Wong defeated China's Wu Yibing 6-2, 6-4 in the men's singles final.

Wong trained during his youth at the Rafael Nadal Academy, and the Spanish star still follows his progress.

When asked if he had received a message from Nadal after winning the gold, he said: "I haven't checked my messages yet. I don't know. Let's see."

Additionally, the Hong Kong men's rugby sevens team secured their third consecutive gold medal with a dominant performance, crowning it with a 26-0 victory over China.

Meanwhile, Japanese cycling star Yumi Kajihara broke down in tears after winning her latest gold medal, dedicating it to her brother who died of cancer this year, saying: "He is here with me."

Kajihara won her third consecutive omnium gold before shedding tears while talking about the role her younger brother, Hyuga, played in helping her get through tough times.

She said: "It made me realize that I must be grateful just for being alive."