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DINESH WEERAWANSA reporting from South Korea

ULSAN, Tuesday - Sri Lanka rugby team finished sixth in the seven-a-side rugby tournament of the 14th Asian Games, which ended with the hosts South Korea bagging the gold medal at the Ulsan Public Stadium, 70km off Busan here today.

China beat Sri Lanka by 24 points (two goals and two tries) to 14 (two goals) in the play-off for the fifth place played this evening. The first half was played under heavy rain as China took control early. The team from Beijing, which took to rugby only a few years back, has shown vast improvement and showed signs of becoming a major force in Asia, even to threaten Japan and Korea's supremacy.

China handled the wet ball well and stormed in with two early tries by Wu Zhenling and Xu Hui. Zhang Zhiqiang converted the second try crossing the Lankan line before the half time. Sri Lanka's solitary try of the first half was scored by Ravi Jayasuriya and converted by M.M.A.L. Perera as China enjoyed a 17-7 lead at 'lemons'.

Sri Lanka played slightly better in the second half, during which both sides scored a goal each. Zhiqiang scored his second goal extend China's lead. Nalaka Weerakkody, who has shown good form in the tournament, scored Sri Lanka's second try of the match in the second half and also added the extra points.

Of the 25-member Sri Lanka rugby squad, 16 players stayed back in Busan to train for the 15-a-side tournament with Asst. coach 'Laga' and only the rest, who are sevens experts, came to Ulsan here to play their last play off game.

The bad news from the Sri Lanka rugby team is that CH & FC's Milinda Jayasinghe, who dislocated his shoulder in the last league game against Malaysia, has been ruled out of the 15-a-side tournament.

Sri Lanka team manager Brian Baptist said its was the first time that Jayasinghe has met with such an unfortunate incident and that the player would not be able to play in any of the 15s matches of the Asian Games.

There are a few more injury worries in the Lankan rugby team, according to Baptist. But team doctor Seevali Jayawickrema is working hard to put them back in good shape. Nilufer Ibrahim is nursing a rib injury while Saranath Hettiarachchi is having a neck problem. But Baptist is hopeful that they should be able to get over the minor injuries by the time the 15-a-side tournament starts later this week.

South Korea were given a scare before they beat Taiwan by 33 points (four goals and a try) to 21 (three goals) in the final to win the Asian Games seven-a-side rugby gold medal today. The winners led 12-7 at half time. The match turned out to be an interesting tussle in the second half before the Koreans sealed their victory with the fifth try of the match.

South Korea's path to the gold medal was even more creditable as they humbled Asian heavyweights Japan by 24 points to 7 in the first semi-final, refereed by Sri Lankan Dilroy Fernando.

Taiwan had a comfortable 19-0 win against Thailand in the second semi-final. But the biggest shock of the tournament came from Thailand, which won the bronze medal. They made much fancied Japan eat the humble pie 14-17 in the play-off match for the third place. It was Thailand's first win over Japan in the seven-a-side rugby history ever.

Sri Lankans continued their dismal performance in rowing at the Nakdong river course. They finished last in all the races they took part today. H. M. Amaradasa finished fifth in the men's lightweight single sculls event clocking eight minutes, 31.99 seconds, way behind the winner Hiu Fung Law of Hong Kong (7:14.03). Amaradasa and Nimal Shantha Vidanagamage finished fourth and last in the men's light double sculls event returning a timing of 8:05.83.

Sri Lanka team, comprising Chanaka Thalpahewa, Kushantha Jeerasinghe, Nimal Dilruk Aluvihare and Chrishantha Aluvihare came fifth and last in men's light weight four-oars without coxwain event, clocking 6:59.63. In the women's rowing, Mithila Ruwanthi Goonawardena finished sixth in light weight single sculls event, returning a timing of 10:06.32, well behind the winner Ka Yan Yung of Hong Kong (8:12.78).

She and Minoli Sudharsha Goonewardena teamed up for the women's light weight double sculls event to finish last (fourth) clocking 9:04.68.

In Judo, Sri Lanka's Chaminda Gunasekera lost to Tsend-ayush Ochirbat of Mongolia in the preliminary round bout of 90kg.

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