Of course it is usual for national teams to perform better when the Games are happening on their own turf and the athletes are being inspired by the passion of their own fans, but Qatar's success on the field amazed everyone and leaves a legacy for the whole country and the wider Middle East.
The 15th Asian Games was not just about putting Doha on the map in a sporting sense, but Qatar acted as flag bearer for the whole of the region. Never before had a Middle Eastern country and region staged anything on this scale. Now Qatar has done it, others will follow.
Many years of planning and hard work bore fruit. A monumental investment not just of cash, but of enterprise and toil paid off. Everyone played their part, whether it was the 16,000 volunteers who chaperoned and scrutinised, the theatrical geniuses who produced the spectacular Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the stadium announcers, the dignitaries who presented the medals, the competitors who won the medals or the person who spent two weeks in a furry costume as Orry the oryx, the official Games mascot.
Qatar's footballers were the heroes of the Games. Despite enormous pressure on their shoulders the men in maroon came through to win the gold medal. Bilal Mohammed Rajab scored the only goal against Iraq in the final to spark incredible scenes of jubilation in the Al-Sadd Football Stadium and along Doha's famous waterfront, the Corniche.
The host claimed nine gold overall and finished ninth in the medal table. It was a fantastic effort. As well as showing football finesse Qatar also triumphed in athletics with three titles. The bronzed bodybuilders took two gold, Abdulqadar Hikamt A Sarhan was a taekwondo champion and the equestrian team managed gold in the eventing team competition and individual show jumping.
One of the high points, in more ways than one, came at the Opening Ceremony as HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani, captain of the Qatar equestrian endurance team, rode his horse to the top of the Khalifa Stadium to light the Doha 2006 Flame. What a start to the fortnight. Qatar also won their first gold on a horse in the guise of the three day eventing team.
China dominated in so many sports it is almost unfair to pick out a couple of their star names as they had a galaxy of them. Weightlifter Mu Shuangshuang was not only crowned women's +75kg weightlifting champion, but in addition she snatched an amazing 139kg, creating a new world record in the process.
Seven foot centre Wang Zhizhi was head and shoulders above everybody else on the basketball court as the men beat Qatar to take the title, China's women basketball players also won gold. Ding Junhui won three cue sport gold while compatriot Yang Wei was the undoubted star of the gymnasium, winning the men's all-round competition.
Chinese swimmers ruled the pool with 16 gold and 22 silver. Japan pushed them all the way with 16 gold and 14 silver but China swept the board elsewhere in the impressive Hamad Aquatic Centre. Chinese water wonders won every single gold in water polo, diving and synchronised swimming.
The men's and women's beach volleyball players both won gold, the fencers were too sharp for the rest and the Chinese shooting team outgunned everyone with 27 gold between them. When all was said and done, China took 165 gold and 316 medals in total.
Korea came second in the overall medal table and boasted the Most Valuable Player of the Asian Games. Teenager Park Tae Hwan clinched three swimming gold medals: 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle. In the process he became the first Asian to break 15 minutes in the 1500m. He won seven medals from seven events.
The Koreans also won all the gold in archery and golf while the men's teams in cycling, hockey, tennis and volleyball also excelled.
Elsewhere, there were less high-profile heroes. The Thai men cleaned up in sepaktakraw with all three gold. Bahrain won six of their seven gold on the athletics track, Maryam Yusuf Jamal doing the double in the women's 800m and 1500m.
Uzbekistan's boxers emerged as the strongest in the ring. Kazakhstan's rhythmic gymnasts twisted and twirled their way to glory, Singapore had the best sailors at the Games and Malaysia won the men's and women's squash titles.
Japan's Kosuke Kitajima got two gold in swimming, reclaiming the 100m and 200m titles he took in Busan. Meanwhile compatriot and women's wrestler Saori Yoshida won in the -55kg gold to win her 13th major title. Meanwhile, Lao PDR had to wait until the penultimate day to win their one and only medal of Doha 2006, a silver in combat wushu. Well done, Phoxay Aphailath.
Despite all the planning, meetings and conferences there are some things you cannot prevent. Mother Nature looked on Doha with a crooked smile through most of the fortnight. The Qatari capital uncharacteristically suffered the most rain that many could remember. The weather was terrible for much of the time as Doha was subjected to dozens of sudden downpours, but it didn't dampen the spirit which will live on in the legacy this most fantastic of Games leaves behind.
15th Asian Games, Doha 2006
Posted December 17th, 2006 by COBA
