Determined Thailand won back the gold medal in women's Sepaktakraw team competition by defeating the host China at the Guangzhou Asiad on Saturday.

Thailand, which won 14 of a possible 21 gold medals of the Games, lost the championship to Vietnam at the 2006 Doha Games. But they didn't let the history replayed at Guangzhou by dispatching China 2-0.

The Thais established the advantage with an easy win of the first game 21-10, 21-16, and showed no mercy to the hosts to conclude the second 21-17, 21-11.

"The victory means more than the champion of the Asian Games, it also means we are back to the top of the sport," said the Thai captain Takan Nareetat.

Nareetat was also improved by the improvement of the Chinese.

"The Chinese team came to train in Thailand for a month before the Games, and they have improved so quickly that we have to take them as our major competitors in the future," she said.

The Chinese have already made history by defeating Indonesia to enter the final. Defending champion Vietnam and Indonesia won the bronze medals after losing the semifinals.

"The silver medal is our best achievement so far, we believe we can do better in the future. We are taller than most of the rivals, but we need to improve our skills, "said Chinese player Zhang Yanan.

Sepaktakraw, or "kicking woven ball", is played primarily in Thailand and Malaysia. It is like volleyball, but with a no-hands rule. The sport made the debut at the Beijing Games in 1990 and the women's competition was added at Bangkok in 1998.

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