India picked up the gold medal in men’s cricket on Saturday at the Asian Games after the final against Afghanistan was halted by rain. India was the higher seeded team going into the final, and officials awarded the medal using that logic with the games closing on Sunday. It was Afghanistan’s first silver medal at these Games after winning four bronze. It has not won a gold. After India won the toss and bowled first, Afghanistan was 112-5 off 18.2 overs when rain forced the players from the field in Hangzhou. Persistent rain prevented any further play and the umpires called the match off.
India made a clean sweep of the cricket competitions at these Games after its women’s team also won gold, beating Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final. South Korea defeated Japan 2-1 in the men’s gold-medal soccer game, a victory that gives the winning players an exemption from military service. All male gold-medal winners at the Games are, by South Korean law, granted exemptions from the 18 to 21 months of military that all able-bodied men must start by the time they turn 28. Olympic medals also do the trick.
Cho Young-wook scored the winner in the 56th minute, making him a hero for the entire team. Kotaro Uchino scored in the 2nd for Japan, and Jeong Woo-yeong equalized in the 27th.—AP
