DOHA, Dec 6: China was always expected to dominate the 2006 Asian Games but the widening gulf with the rest of Asia has left opponents bewildered after the opening days of competition.

The Chinese sent a delegation of more than 640 athletes to Doha with the goal of extending their Asian Games supremacy and building up competition experience for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In Doha, the 44 other countries competing in the December 1-15 Asian Games were already resigned to playing a supporting role to the Chinese dragon before the Games even started.

However, the extent of China's dominance has stunned some of Asia's traditional sporting powers like India in hockey and shooting and Japan in judo to the extent that opponents are wondering out loud whether the rest of the continent can keep up with the Chinese juggernaut.

While China is maintaining its dominance in sports like table tennis and badminton, its state controlled sports administration is clearly focusing on areas where China's success has been limited in the past.

Japanese judo coach Hitoshi Saito was profoundly shaken on Tuesday when Japan were swept from the top of the Asian Games judo medal table for the first time in two decades by a triumphant China who have no tradition of judo dominance.

“I acknowledge the disgrace but go home with my head up high. I must say this is not the end,” he vowed after China claimed five golds to Japan and South Korea's four.

The story was the same in so many other sports that China had surged to 60 golds in the medal count after the first four days and the race to become Asian Games champion is all-but over with 10 days of competition still to come.

Japan, South Korea and Kazakhstan are struggling just to stay in touch.

Asked about China's dominance and the failure of Arab countries and the rest of Asia to make inroads, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, said that Asia would benefit in the end from a powerful China.

“China is one of the most important countries in terms of sporting achievement worldwide,” he said.

“They almost beat the USA in terms of medals at the Athens Olympics. That's why we are hoping they will lead an Asian surge at 2008 Olympics.”China has dominated Asian sport for more than two decades and their goal now is to eclipse the United States and to become the world's paramount sporting power at the Beijing Olympics after finishing just behind the Americans at Athens in 2004.

China's goal in Doha is to improve on its performance four years ago at the last Asiad in Busan, South Korea in 2002, when it won 150 gold medals against 96 for South Korea and 44 for Japan.

From day one China set about their goal in earnest here, winning 16 of the 20 gold medals on offer and handing out a lesson in shooting to India, who set the Commonwealth Games alight in Melbourne in March with 16 gold medals.

“They are far, far ahead of the rest,” said Indian coach Sunny Thomas. “We can watch and admire and hopefully learn a few lessons.”Of the 28 shooting events contested after four days, the Chinese have won 19 with Kazakhstan the next best with four.—AFP