DOHA, Dec 14: South Korea retained the Asian Games men's field hockey gold medal by ending China's giant-killing feats with a 3-1 win in the final here on Thursday. Yeo Woon-Kon scored two goals, including a penalty stroke in the second half, and Yoon Sung-Hoon one after Na Yubo had given China an early lead in the ninth minute.

New-look Pakistan came from behind to take the bronze medal with a 4-2 win over Japan, earning themselves a place in the 2008 Beijing Olympics along with the finalists.

The Koreans, defending the title they won by beating India at home in Busan four years ago, were hot favourites to retain the gold as the top-ranked Asian team that finished fourth at the World Cup in September.

But China, who did not even qualify for the World Cup, had barged into their maiden Asian Games final with a performance that prompted Pakistan captain Rehan Butt to describe them as ‘Asia's new force.’

The Chinese, coached by Korean mastermind Kim Sang-Ryul, flattened India in the league 3-2 before conjuring a sensational Houdini act to stun Pakistan 2-1 in Tuesday's semi-final.Kim's men, however, fell apart in the final as the Koreans played spectacular aggressive hockey to ensure that China was denied an Asiad double after the women won the gold medal on Wednesday.

Japan took the lead against Pakistan in the ninth minute through Takahiko Yamabori, but Adnan Maqsood equalised two minutes later and Shakeel Abbasi made it 2-1 by the interval.

Mohammad Waqas delighted some 500 Pakistani fans by pumping in two goals in 12 minutes after the break, the second with a splendid reverse hit from the top of the circle.

Yamabori reduced the margin with his 12th goal of the competition, but could not prevent Japan from facing a hazardous qualifying route for the Olympics.

The International Hockey Federation's new qualification rules gave only the two Asian Games finalists a direct entry into the Beijing Olympics.

But with China already assured of playing in the Olympics as the host nation, the bronze medallists were granted the additional spot.

Pakistan, who won the last of their seven Asian Games gold medals in Beijing in 1990, have not won a major title since the Shahbaz Ahmed-inspired World Cup triumph in Sydney in 1994.

They sacked five seniors, including captain Mohammad Saqlain and penalty corner expert Sohail Abbas, for the Doha campaign in a bid to groom a young team for the Olympics.

Arch-rivals India, who will leave without a medal for the first time in Asian Games history, finished fifth with a 4-0 win over Malaysia. Vokkaliga Raghunath converted two penalty corners.

Bangladesh took the seventh position with a 5-1 defeat of Taiwan.—AFP