Sports

Indonesia hopes the first gold medal it gained from the 16th Asian Games on Thursday would motivate athletes to make more achievements.

Indonesia finally snatched a gold medal in the men`s 1,000-m dragon boat event in the Asian Games in Zengcheng, China, on Thursday.

Niko Kranjcar scored the first two goals and laid on the third as Croatia breezed past Malta 3-0 to go top of Euro 2012 Group F qualifying on Wednesday.

Indonesian athletes were still unable to collect a single gold medal until the fifth day of the current Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Indonesia`s wushu athlete Susyana Tjhan failed to grab a gold medal and had to be content with a bronze in the taolu event during the finals of the 16th Asian Games here on Tuesday.

Raul struck twice and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar also got on the scoresheet as Schalke 04 beat St Pauli 3-0 on Friday to move out of the relegation zone after only their second Bundesliga win this season.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono canceled his plan to see off the country`s contingent to the Asian Games earlier scheduled at the presidential palace on Friday due to the Mount Merapi eruptions.

Indonesia`s badminton men`s singles ace Taufik Hidayat had to be satisfied to emerge as a runner-up in the Danish Super Series Open Tournament after being beaten in the finals by host player Jan Jorgensen.

The Asian Games have come a long way since the concept was formalised in New Delhi in 1949.

The Kremlin Cup suffered a double blow on Wednesday when top seed Nikolay Davydenko was beaten in his opening match while champion Mikhail Youzhny was forced to pull out with a virus infection.