CHINESE PROMISE TO "WIN CLEANLY"

BANGKOK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A succession of embarrassing doping scandals and
a new Olympic bid by Beijing should ensure China's racers are on best
behaviour when the Asian Games swimming competition gets under way on Monday.

Which could leave the bugs with star billing at Bangkok's chilly
Thammasat University pool.

At the last Games, in the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1994, seven
Chinese swimmers tested positive for steroids, including two newly
crowned world champions.

The scandal upstaged the Games and brought accusations that the
world's news sporting superpower had embraced East German-style
systematic doping.

More doping rows followed until at this year's World Championship four
Chinese swimmers tested positive for steroid-masking agents and
another was caught with human growth hormones in her baggage.

But Chinese officials insist they are taking the doping fight
seriously. As Tu Mingde, secretary-general of the Chinese National
Olympic Committee, told the South China Morning Post this week,
winning is no longer all that counts.

"Winning 100 gold medals or more is not everything for China," Tu
said. "What matters most is that we have come here to win cleanly."

"We are exercising a strict policy which involves strict prohibition,
strict testing and severe sanctions on any athlete caught taking
drugs," he added.

Some of China's top swimmers will be missing out on the Asiad,
including world record holders He Cihong and Le Jingyi, as well as
butterfly specialist Liu Limin.

But China, which recently announced Beijing's bid to host the 2008
Olympics, should still grab the lion's share of the medals. Their
campaign will be led by world record holders Chen Yan and Wu Yanyan --
who both set astonishing world records at the 1997 National Games in
Shanghai.

The strongest competition will come from Japan, whose line-up includes
16- year-old Ayari Aoyama, a former short course world record holder
in the 100 metres butterfly, and backstroker Mai Nakamura.

Thailand's Rattapong Sirisanont, who was awarded two golds in
Hiroshima after seeing his Chinese rivals disqualified, will be
carrying the hosts' hopes.

First, however, Games organisers have to solve the problem of nightly
bug invasions.

Thousands of insects attracted by the bright lights of Bangkok have
been dropping in for a dip at the Thammasat pool -- forcing organisers
to set up special "pest control units".

"The biggest problem comes in the evening when there is a plague of
insects," said Major-General Kamol Saen-issara of the Thai swimming
association.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry