Indonesia was formally named the host country for the 2018 Asian Games on Saturday, filling the void created when Vietnam relinquished its hosting rights over financial concerns.  Indonesia's National Olympic Committee said Saturday that events would be held in the capital of Jakarta, along with the regions of South Sumatra and West Java.    Committee Chairwoman Rita Subowo said the bid had strong support from the central and regional governments and that much of the infrastructure was already i

South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae’s upcoming performance at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon was selected as the most anticipated event by spectators here, a survey showed Thursday.The country’s top rhythmic gymnast took 25.4 percent of the popularity vote of 3,000 South Koreans in their 20s to 50s, according to the survey by the local polling agency Panel Marketing Interactive. The 20-year-old finished fifth in the individual all-around at the world championships last year. She has been

INCHEON, South Korea (AFP) – North Korea's athletes got an unexpectedly rousing welcome at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Incheon on Friday as South Korean fans put aside their bitter rivalry and cheered them warmly.The two countries are technically still at war, and a recent spike in tensions prompted speculation about what kind of reception the North's delegation would get at the gala launch of the 17th Asiad.The crowd in the 61,000-seat stadium bellowed their approval as the North

BEIJING (AFP) ― China’s Li Na announced her retirement at the age of 32 Friday, saying knee injuries had forced her out of tennis just seven months after she won the Australian Open.The two-time Grand Slam champion, Asia’s most successful player and a trailblazer for the sport, said the injuries had long stopped her from playing to her potential.“As a professional tennis player, it is the best decision for me to leave the field,” Li wrote on her weibo microblog, adding that injuries have “for a

INCHEON, South Korea (AFP) - Badges handed out by Japanese competitors at the Asian Games in South Korea revived antagonism Friday over their country's harsh colonial rule of its neighbor.The organizing committee of the event in Incheon sent a protest letter to the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) over the badges which appear to show Japan's wartime rising sun flag.   The flag is seen by many Koreans as a symbol of Japanese cruelty during the occupation up to 1945. The flag was changed after Wor