Kuwaiti Team Stands Tall at Asian Games : Ceremony: Athletes from the invaded desert nation raise their flag in Beijing, vowing to carry on in the face of crisis.

Kuwaiti athletes stood defiantly to attention and white-robed officials dried tears with their headdresses as the conquered nation’s flag was raised today at the Asian Games athletes’ village.

All but 71 of the 320 Kuwaiti athletes, coaches and officials originally selected to go to Beijing were trapped by Iraq’s Aug. 2 invasion of their desert homeland.

Those who made it to China had something to prove. “We’ve come to put our flag high,” said star soccer goalkeeper Samir Said, 27.

Asked if he was ready to face Iraqis on the soccer field--a proposal to exclude Iraq from the Games goes to a vote here Thursday--Samir said:

“We’ve been two times champions of Asia and won the Gulf Cup seven times. Maybe we’re against the government of Iraq, not the people. I will play. It’s a good chance for me to beat them.”

The red, green and white Kuwaiti flag was raised in the heart of the athletes’ village in the presence of Sheik Ahmed Fahd al Ahmed al Sabah, new president of the Kuwait Olympic Committee.

Sheik Ahmed last month took over the post from his father, Sheik Fahd, who was killed defending the Emir’s palace from the Iraqi invaders.

Two of the four Asian Games torches carried across China in a monthlong relay reached Beijing. The torches were lit in the Chinese capital a month ago and flown to the four corners of the country, from which they were relayed back to Beijing by 100 million runners.

Japan announced that it is sending Education Minister Kosuke Hori to attend the opening ceremony on Saturday. It will be the first Cabinet-level visit between the two countries since Beijing cracked down on last year’s massive pro-democracy movement.