Beijing: China will try to maintain its ascendancy in the medals tally at the upcoming Asian Games which begins in Guangzhou on Friday, a sports official of the country said here.
Xiao Tian, deputy chief of the Chinese delegation, said that despite their perennial dominance in the Asian Games, China is taking the 16th edition of the event very seriously and hopes to fare well.
"China has won the most medals at the recent editions of the Asian Games and we hope to repeat that feat in Guangzhou," Xiao said while addressing the reporters.
A total of 35 Olympic gold medallists, including 110 meter hurdles champion Liu Xiang and badminton ace Lin Dan, are among the 1,454 members who will star in the Chinese delegation.
To a question about the number of medals that Chinese athletes are expecting to win at the Games, Xiao said he could not make an exact prediction but maintained that the team will put a great show.
"The results of sport competitions are unpredictable, but I can tell you that we will try to surpass our previous performance at the Asian Games."
China had garnered a total of 316 medals, including 166 gold, 87 silver and 63 bronze medals at the Doha Games four years ago.
Chinese officials are placing high level of importance on the Games as they want to use the opportunity to test the metal of their sportspersons ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
"The Asian Games is a very precious chance to find our problems. We should make full use of it and get prepared for the London Olympics," Xiao said.
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