China Make Golden Start on 1st Day of Asian Games

Gold medallists China's Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping pose for a photo during a medal ceremony after the women's light-weight double sculls final event of rowing during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province on September 24, 2023. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)
Gold medallists China's Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping pose for a photo during a medal ceremony after the women's light-weight double sculls final event of rowing during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province on September 24, 2023. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)
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China Make Golden Start on 1st Day of Asian Games

Gold medallists China's Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping pose for a photo during a medal ceremony after the women's light-weight double sculls final event of rowing during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province on September 24, 2023. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)
Gold medallists China's Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping pose for a photo during a medal ceremony after the women's light-weight double sculls final event of rowing during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province on September 24, 2023. (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)

Hosts China swept the first gold medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Sunday in a statement of intent on day one of the region's answer to the Olympics.

China claimed the first gold when Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping dominated the women's lightweight double sculls rowing to kick off a medal rush for the home nation.

The Chinese pair finished in 7min 6.78sec, with Uzbekistan's Luizakhon Islamova and Malika Tagmativa taking silver -- almost 10 seconds behind.

Indonesia's Chelsea Corputty and Rahma Mutiara Putri won bronze.

The hosts soon doubled up on the rowing lake as the men's lightweight double sculls gold was won by Fan Junjie and Sun Man, who finished five seconds clear of India's Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh.

China won six of the seven golds at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre rowing venue on Sunday morning with only Hong Kong's Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun getting in on the party by winning the men's pairs.

China's shooters also claimed the women's 10m team air rifle.

The hosts' rip-roaring start to the 19th Asian Games, which end on October 8, continued as Sun Peiyuan won the first martial arts gold.

Sun successfully defended his men's changquan wushu title from 2018, ahead of Indonesia's Edgar Xavier Marvelo with Macau's Song Chi-kuan third.



New Southampton Manager Juric Promises High-Intensity ‘Death Metal’ Style

Football - Premier League - Fulham v Southampton - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 22, 2024 New Southampton manager Ivan Juric before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Fulham v Southampton - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 22, 2024 New Southampton manager Ivan Juric before the match. (Reuters)
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New Southampton Manager Juric Promises High-Intensity ‘Death Metal’ Style

Football - Premier League - Fulham v Southampton - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 22, 2024 New Southampton manager Ivan Juric before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Fulham v Southampton - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 22, 2024 New Southampton manager Ivan Juric before the match. (Reuters)

Ivan Juric said he will try to implement a high-intensity brand of football at Southampton as he bids to guide the Premier League strugglers out of the relegation zone.

The former Croatia midfielder, who was appointed on an 18-month contract on Saturday, was previously in charge of AS Roma but was dismissed in November after only 12 matches in charge.

"When I was young, I liked death metal music a lot, and that's something I think my style of football is like," Juric told reporters on Monday.

"Work hard, press hard, play good, be intense, all this stuff. I think (the players) can do it. They are young, they are positive, they want to work hard. It's not easy to change the style immediately, but we have to be clever."

Bottom of the league with six points from 17 matches, Southampton are winless in their last seven league games and sit eight points adrift of safety.

"I know it will be a very tough job and I know that in the history nobody has stayed in the Premier League from this situation," the 49-year-old said, adding that he thought the side can do "something exceptional".

Juric's first game in charge is on Thursday when Southampton host West Ham United.