China has embraced another athletic triumph to emerge as the dominating force in the Paralympic Games in Athens with a total gain of 141 medals, 63 of them gold, after the 12-day event closed on September 28.

　　China successfully attained a remarkable leading margin as runner-up Britain was left far behind with 35 gold medals, followed by the United States, which had been quickly climbing the ladder towards the end to move up to third with 27 gold medals. China sent a delegation of 287 strong-minded athletes to the games, which saw more than 4,000 athletes from over 140 countries and regions take part, competing in 19 sports featuring a total of 526 events.

　　Football hope

　　China has scored an overwhelming 5-1 victory over Indonesia in the AFC Youth Championship 2004, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on September 27. The victory placed China in second place in Group B with four points, after group leader Qatar.

　　The Chinese youngsters passed over their profligate playing style against Iran on September 25, striking a 4-0 advantage over Indonesia in the first half. Although the Chinese team is not regarded as a strong contender for the trophy, Peter Velappan, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation （AFC）, has optimistically predicted that the team is improving its game at every match and will finish at least within the top four places.