A look ahead at Thursday, the sixth day of competition at the 15th Asian Games which end December 15, 2006; Weather forecast; light drizzle with a high of 21 C (70 F). Gold medals on offer: 30.
The podium events: men's and women's 20-kilometer walk; gold-medal match in baseball between Japan and Taiwan; doubles in billiards and singles in snooker; five rowing finals, including the men's four; three shooting individual finals and four team events; six swimming finals; men's and women's singles and mixed doubles finals in table tennis; four finals in taekwondo; men's and women's team finals in tennis.
To Watch
_ Japan and Taiwan, each 4-0, play in the final round-robin game of the baseball tournament, which has turned out to be the gold medal contest. Japan, which won the World Baseball Classic with a strong professional lineup earlier in 2006, has only amateurs in Doha. Taiwan has Los Angeles Dodgers' teammates Kuo Hong-chi and shortstop Hu Chin-lung.
_ taekwondo begins its four-day run at the games. Iran has a 10-man team led by Maysam Rafiei, who has already won 10 medals in international competition in the 58-kilogram class. Chinese players feature strongly in both the women's and men's singles finals in table tennis, which ends on Thursday. In the mixed doubles final, the South Korean pair of Lee Jung-wood and Lee Eun-hee takes on Ma Lin and Wang Nan of China for gold.
{{/usCountry}}_ taekwondo begins its four-day run at the games. Iran has a 10-man team led by Maysam Rafiei, who has already won 10 medals in international competition in the 58-kilogram class. Chinese players feature strongly in both the women's and men's singles finals in table tennis, which ends on Thursday. In the mixed doubles final, the South Korean pair of Lee Jung-wood and Lee Eun-hee takes on Ma Lin and Wang Nan of China for gold.
{{/usCountry}}Elsewhere
_ host Qatar tries to win its fourth consecutive match in round-robin play in the basketball tournament when it takes on Iran. Bahrain plays South Korea in another game, while Taiwan plays Thailand in a women's match.
_ the three-day event continues in equestrian with the cross-country discipline featured. Japan and South Korea are expected to vie for the gold when it is presented on Friday after the final show-jumping portion.
_ South Korea plays Oman and China, which upset traditional gold medal winners India on Tuesday, takes on Bangladesh, in men's field hockey.
_ pool matches continue in volleyball, handball, water polo, beach volleyball, chess, women's soccer and additional races in six sailing classes, some of the 39 Asian Games sports.