China sends rookies to Doha
(AFP)Updated: 2006-11-20 08:54
China unveiled a 928-strong delegation for the Doha Asian Games, led by Olympic champion 110m hurdler Liu Xiang but made up mostly of newcomers to international competition.
 Chinese sports chieves attend a press conference on China's delegation for the Doha Asian Games on Friday, Nov 17, 2006.[Xinhua] 
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"Our goals is to top the medals table in terms of gold medals and also in terms of total medals and to ensure that China dominates the Asian Games for the seventh edition in a row," Cai Zhenhua, a deputy head of the delegation, told a press conference.
China will field more then 400 rookies in Doha who have no experience of major international events, Chinese officials said.
By contrast, several established stars with world and Olympic titles will be staying at home.
China has topped the Asian Games medals table since 1982 and its goal in Doha is to retain that position while grooming a new generation of medal hopes for the 2008 Olympics.
"Our first goal is to give younger competitors experience, to speed up the training of the younger competitors and secondly to rest top athletes who have had too much competition and need a break," said deputy delegation head and deputy sports minister Duan Shijie.
Liu Xiang, the Athens Olympic champion who set a new world record in July this year, will lead the 41-strong athletics team that will be without 10,000m women's Olympic champion Xing Huina, recovering from a knee injury
In swimming, Athens 100m breaststroke champion Luo Xuejuan was left out of the women's team while several teenage newcomers were drafted.
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