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Coach Lang Ping keeps low key as hosts China eyes revenge

Xinhua, May 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

China coach Lang Ping kept low key here on Tuesday despite her team is the host of the forthcoming Asian Women's Volleyball Championship.

Lang Ping, nicknamed "Iron Hammer" as the ace spiker of the national team in 1980s and took the rein of the Chinese national team for the second time in 2013, didn't see a sweet start.

After losing to Thailand and South Korea, her team finished fourth in Thailand, its worst performance in 38 years at the Asian championship.

Lang Ping told reporters: "The top three would be our goal at this year's Asian championship."

However, both Lang Ping and her team know that "champion" could possibly be a better answer: The answer not only based on the glorious tradition of the team but also their true ability.

After the 2013 Asian Championship, the team began to recover from the bottom in the next two years step by step. The silver medal in the World Championships spoke for itself: China still got the strength to take revenge in Asia.

The timing is also perfect as the Asian Women's Championship is not held in September as always, but in May this year when China's national team has just finished its closed-door training and is in its best form.

What's more, as Japan will automatically play as the host in the qualifications for Rio 2016. Their backup team to Tianjin will cost less trouble for the home side.

This team may also have luck on its side: as China's opponent in the first match, Fiji can not show up before May 22 due to some unproductive negotiation between the Fiji national team and the Fiji government, China has won their first match tomorrow 3-0 automatically before the opening ceremony.

"Tomorrow we'll be watching other matches and training," said Lang Ping.

Without doubt, the road of taking avenge is not all covered by sunshine with Thailand and South Korea reigned respectively in the 2013 Asian Championship and Inchon Asia Games. And China is still a young team - even younger than that one in the World Championship, how to handle the pressure on the home court would be great challenge.

But Lang Ping would know these better than anyone else.

"I tell the players not to get too excited before the match. We just need to play our best and see what will happen," Lang Ping said. With its all top players and the support by home fans, it will be interesting to see how far this low-key team could go this year in Tianjin. Endi