Chinese weightlifter Dong Feng quits Asiad

Doha -- Chinese superweight strongman Dong Feng withdrew from the weightlifting competition of the 15th Asian Games due to a leg injury sustained during training in Beijing.

"I called Dong Wednesday to persuade him to give up the Asian Games and he took my advice. He won't come," said Ma Wenguang, president of the Chinese Weightlifting Association.

The 20-year-old is tipped as a medal hope in the Beijing Olympics. He won a silver medal and a bronze in the men's over 105 kg category in the Santo Domingo World Championships recently.

He had also set the junior world records in jerk (245 kg) and in total (437 kg) in the World Championships.

"Dong's right leg was strained during the training," said Ma. "He said it was not a big problem and he could come to Doha, but we wanted him to fully recover from the injury.

"The Asian Games is very important, but the Olympics is the most important in our project. We gave up a possible medal in the Asian Games, but we still keep a hope in 2008. I think the decision is right," he said.

China took nine weightlifting gold medals in the Busan Asian Games in 2002, including three from men and six from women.