by sportswriters Wang Zijiang and Zhang Wei

    DOHA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Liu Peng, the chef de mission of the Chinese sports delegation, said here on Tuesday that the Qatari people have created a "miracle" in hosting the 15th Asian Games.

    Liu said that Doha has provided a "first class" Asian Games, besides surprising the world with a spectacular opening ceremony.

    Liu, also minister of the General Sports Administration of China, the country's sports governing body, said "the organization of the competition is the first class, the facilities are the first class and their service to all the delegations is also the first class."

    "In a word, the Qatari people have created a miracle," Liu, who is also the president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, told Xinhua.

    He said that the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) has learned a lot from Doha's success.

    "BOCOG sent people here to learn and they have learned some successful experiences from the Doha Asian Games," he said.

    Liu also spoke highly of the Chinese athletes' performances in the Asian Games, saying every gold medal was won through hard efforts.

    China has accumulated 124 gold medals with four days to go, far ahead of second-placed South Korea (44) and third-ranked Japan (43).

    "Every gold medal was won by our athletes with hard efforts," Liu said. "None of them was got easily."

    Critics said that the Asian Games will be no more an important event and they even argued that China should send second-string athletes to compete in future Asiad.

    Liu declined to disclose China's plan for the future Asian Games. And obviously it's also very hard because China's Guangzhou will host the next Asiad in 2010.

    "We have announced before we came here that 63 per cent of our athletes in the delegations were Asian Games first timers. The Organizing Committee of the Doha Asian Games was critical of our decision. They felt we should attach more importance to this Games. But now, with so many gold medals flowing in, some people think we have won too many," Liu said.

    He added that "it's true that we have won many gold medals, but every gold medal was not won easily. Everyone was won with years' hard efforts by the athletes and their coaches."

    Liu said that the good performances of the Chinese delegation can help to promote the overall level of Asia's sports, and also show Asia rising status in the sports world.

    "We also won honor for Asia," Liu said.