The Albany Gazette - India cricketers win in style as Afghan savours 'special' Games silver

China were streaking away in the medals table ahead of hosts Japan towards the end of the third full day of action in Aichi-Nagoya.

India won their first gold of this 20th edition of Asia's biggest sporting spectacle, with Smriti Mandhana the hero.

Her whirlwind 79 helped them crush Sri Lanka by 147 runs and win a second consecutive women's cricket title.

India smashed 216-3 off their 20 overs, the highest women's total in Games history, with 18 fours and 13 sixes.

Sri Lanka were never a threat as they were skittled for 69 in 15.4 overs and had to settle for silver.

"It's a good thing to win the first gold medal for India," opening batter Mandhana told AFP.

"It feels amazing. We've seen other athletes win gold on TV."

The men's cricket competition begins on Thursday, with India favourites to win that too.

China extended their dominance in swimming, which is taking place in Tokyo.

They have won 15 of the 20 golds in the pool so far.

- 'Really overwhelmed' -

An Afghan cyclist who disguised herself as a man to pursue her sporting dreams hopes her silver will inspire women in a country where their freedoms have been sharply curtailed.

Fariba Hashimi powered home second in the women's road race, calling the triumph "something special".

"I can't explain my feelings now," said the 23-year-old, who fled Afghanistan after Taliban authorities returned to power in 2021.

She reflected on how she was attacked with stones and trained dressed as a man when she started out in the sport as a teenager along with sister Yulduz, who is also now a pro cyclist.

"I was born inside a country where the women who dream are getting attacked, and I'm really happy that I have fought against that," said Hashimi, who is now based in Italy.

Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is making its Asian Games debut as it makes an audacious play to one day be on the Olympic stage.

One of the first champions in Games history was Teo Hui Hoon as the Singaporean clinched gold in the women's traditional -60kg class.

"I was really overwhelmed when I knew that I had won the match. I've never cried before after a fight," she said.

China top the medals table with 30 golds, with Japan a distant second on nine and Kazakhstan third with six towards the end of Tuesday.

Games organisers meanwhile came out fighting, blaming teams for "confusion" and delays in boarding the cruise ship housing thousands of athletes.

More than 4,000 people are staying on the Costa Serena in Nagoya's port, but some had complained of long delays to get on last week.

(A.Thompson--TAG)