They hope their promising athletes can gain experience at the quadrennial sports event, which begins at the end of next month in South Korea.

China is participating in its eighth straight Asian Games since making its debut in 1974. It has been the dominant power in the event since the 1986 Seoul Asiad and has topped the gold medal tally in the past four meetings.

A team of 948 athletes and coaches will attend on behalf of the nation this year, the largest in the history of the competition. A total of 686 athletes will take part.

Many of those appear in new names to the public but are highly thought of in sports circles.

"To give our young athletes valuable experience is one of the most important tasks of the Pusan Asiad," said delegation deputy head Li Furong.

"We are trying to cultivate talent for the 2004 Athens Olympics and then develop it for the Beijing Games."

Li said diving, badminton and table tennis will feature young athletes favored for the 2008 Olympics.

Officials hope the Asiad will stimulate interest in the nation to participate in more sports at the 2008 Olympics.

"The 2008 Games is the time when we will show our sporting strength overall," said Vice-President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, He Huixian.

"We are planning to take part in all sports of the 2008 Olympics and participate in as many events as possible."

Although it is traveling to South Korea with a younger squad, China is still aiming to top the medal table for the fifth consecutive time.

But He said it could prove difficult this time because the team may be too young to bear the pressure. "Only one fifth of the athletes in the delegation have international competition experience," He said.

The Pusan Games will begin on September 29 and continue until October 14. More than 10,000 people are expected to take part in the event.

(China Daily August 30, 2002)