Pakistan and Kuwait picked up their first gold medals on Friday on a day when the concentration shifted from the playing fields to a positive doping test.

In the first drug controversy, Uzbekistan judoka Shokir Mumonov, who won a silver medal in the 81kg division final last Sunday, tested positive for Methylhexaneamine in the post-competition screening, said Dr. Mani Jegathesan, chairman of Olympic Council of Asia medical commission, at a press conference held here on Friday afternoon.

"The athlete has been disqualified from the competition as well as these games and his performance in the competition has been nullified, his medal withdrawn and appropriate adjustment made to the results," said the OCA medical chief.

"His urine specimen collected on Nov. 14 after the competition was found to contain Methylhexaneamine."

Methylhexaneamine has been the subject of several high-profile doping cases since the WADA added the substance to its banned list this year.

In last Asian Games in Doha, four weightlifters were disqualified for flunking doping tests.

Before the positive test was announced, most of the attention was focused on the four matches of the men's soccer quarterfinals.

Thailand, coached by former Manchester United and England captain Bryan Robson, was defeated 1-0 by a more experienced side Japan.

"It's very unlucky, as we were the better team over the 90 minutes," Robson said.

UAE edged DPR Korea 9-8 in a thrilling penalty shootout with the two sides played to a goalless draw after the extra time. In the other two matches, South Korea defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 after extra time and Iran ousted Oman 1-0.

UAE will take on South Korea and Iran meet Japan in the semifinals.

Pakistan defeated arch rival Bangladesh to win its first gold medal at the Guangzhou Asian Games in women's cricket. The win was expected to bring hopes for the country ravaged by terrorism and floods.

The Pakistani women didn't hide their ecstacy, holding the national flag of Pakistan and running around the court after the final, which for the first time, was broadcast live through their country for a women's sport.

"We never saw it before. It's amazing," said Pakistani player Syeda Nain Fatima Abidi.

Iraq also took their first medal from men's single sculls rower Haeider Hamarasheid, who won the bronze behind India's Bajrang Lal Takhar.

China took four of the seven rowing golds on the final day of rowing competition, including the featured men's eights. Japan, Iran and India won the other three respectively.

A jubilant Hamarasheid said after the race, "The bronze medal has come at a good time, I will be in the newspaper and on the TV back home. People will start to know me and more importantly, start to know about rowing."

Neighbouring Kuwait opened their gold account, too. Their shooters won both the team and individual titles in the men's trap. Yukie Nakayama of Japan won the women's trap gold medal as China cruised to victory in the team event.

It took China's gold medal haul at the ranges to 16 from a possible 36 held so far, followed by South Korea with 13. But China is unlikely to surpass their tally of 27 won in the Doha Games with only eight more events left.

Hong Kong's Steven Wong, who was born and based in Belgium, won the BMX cycling gold, while China's Ma Liyun won the women's race.

In weightlifting, 19-year-old Yang Zhe gifted China their first Asiad gold medal in men's 105kg category in 12 years by snatching 185kg and jerking 217kg to earn a winning total of 402kg.

South Korea won two golds out of four in the second day's taekwondo action, lifting their total to four. Iran continued their stunning winning momentum, taking their third from men's under 68kg by Mohammad Bagheri Motamed. Guo Yunfei won the women's 67kg to give China its second gold in the sport.

In table tennis, China captured three more golds from doubles events, adding to their two team titles.

In baseball, South Korea trounced Chinese Taipei to win the champion.

In tennis, Indian beauty Sania Mirza, who won the Australian Open mixed doubles title last year, thrashed local favourite Zhang Shuai to reach the women's singles quarterfinals.

Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm, the 40-year-old top seed who won the gold at the 1994 Games in Hiroshima, also advanced after easing past Hong Kong's Zhang Ling.

A minor earthquake measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale shook Shenzhen, a city only 200 kilometers away from Guangzhou. But the Games organizers said the Guangzhou Games wasn't affected.

China's gold count reached 126 on the seventh day of the Games, 83 more than second-placed South Korea. And it seems that it will be easy for the host to break their own record of golds in an Asian Games - 183 that it established 20 years ago in Beijing.

At the 2006 Doha Asian Games, China collected 165 gold medals against 58 for South Korea and 50 for Japan.

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