Asia hopes for big medal haul at Beijing While the three Asian heavyweights should again take the bulk of the glory, smaller fry like Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong put athletes on the podium in 2004 and will be looking to improve in Beijing.
Saina Nehwal, Mangal Singh confident of good performance in Olympics "I am playing quite well. I have been training extensively for the past three weeks. I am confident that I play well," Saina said. Mangal Singh, the archer from Jharkhand now playing for Andhra Pradesh, said he is hoping for a medal.
China on verge of becoming dominant sporting power The host of the Olympic Games, hopes to upstage the United States and scoop golds from sports where it is traditionally strong -- table tennis, badminton, gymnastics and diving.
Olympic village opened to participants "The advance men from 12 national Olympic committees are scheduled to check in at the village soon for the soft opening," Yin Lei, an organising committee staff at the village's arrival and departure centre, told Xinhua Sunday.
