Nagoya, Oct. 3 (Jiji Press)–Japanese athletes continued their strong showing across multiple sports on the 15th day of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday, helping the host nation set a record of 83 gold medals at a single edition of the Games. The total surpassed the previous record of 78 gold medals won by Japan at the 1966 Bangkok Games. Japan’s softball team defeated China 7-0 in the final under the mercy rule after five innings to claim its seventh consecutive Asian Games title. In Judo, Japan won its third straight mixed team title by overpowering Kazakhstan 4-0 in the final. In wrestling, Moe Kiyooka won the women’s 53-kilogram division. Akari Fujinami suffered a semifinal loss in the women’s 57-kg class, ending her winning streak in official matches at 155. She later rebounded to win the bronze-medal bout. In breaking, Shigeyuki Nakarai, known by his dancer name Shigekix, successfully defended his title. Japan’s under-21 men’s soccer team lost 0-1 to South Korea in the final, missing out on its first Asian Games title in four editions. The men’s volleyball team also came up short, losing 1-3 to Iran in the final and failing to secure its first gold medal in four Games. In men’s individual recurve archery, Junya Nakanishi finished second and secured a berth for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Japan’s men’s water polo team claimed a second consecutive title. Japan beat Indonesia 2-1 in the men’s sepak takraw quad final to win its first-ever gold medal in the event. On Thursday, Japan broke its record for total medals at a single Asian Games. On the final day Sunday, equestrian events will be held before the 16-day competition concludes with the closing ceremony starting at 6 p.m. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
