Children of the 80S Show Talent for Trouble
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22 WEDNESDAY MARCH 14, 2007 SPORTSCHINA CHINA DAILY INBRIEF SOCCER Children of the 80s show talent for trouble China face US in Women’s World Cup tuneups team was the only unit we had,” snooker club owner from CHICAGO: A 1999 Women’s Coaches fear changing attitudes Sun said. “I did everything for Shanghai, responded by fi ling World Cup fi nal rematch with the team, not myself, and I a lawsuit. The dispute was China will kick off a six- mean young athletes care more think that was the key to our resolved only when the lawsuit game US warm-up series for success.” was dropped and Zhou issued a September’s Women’s World about themselves than their team However, the post-1980, public apology. Cup in China, the US Soccer One-Child Policy generation “The athletes from one-child Federation announced on By Zhao Rui tember tournament. “Society is are thinking in a different families are self-oriented and Monday. changing, and so are our sports way. lack discipline,” Deng Yaping, The US women, who won teams and athletes. Sometimes Unlike their parents and a former table tennis world the 1991 and 1999 FIFA Laptop, iPod and Blackberry I find dealing with them ex- grandparents, they grew up champion and now member women’s titles, will play host phone: China’s tennis chief hausting.” in relative affluence and have of the Athletes Commission to China in a June 16 friendly Sun Jinfang was surprised at Like Sun, many Chinese endured little hardship. They of the International Olympic at Cleveland and face Brazil the contents of star player Li coaches and offi cials are com- missed the years of war, the Committee (IOC), told China on June 23 at East Rutherford, Na’s bag as she packed up after plaining that athletes born in rigors of postwar construc- Daily last week. New Jersey. Other details of the US Open last year. the 1980s are moving away tion and the single-minded “They have very few opportu- the US warm-ups are to be “Everything is changing from the team spirit that fi rst drive to catch up to the United nities to learn about society and announced. so fast,” Sun, who led China’s made China a sporting pow- States. suddenly when they become The Americans, 6-0 with women’s volleyball team to erhouse. This generation are advocates successful everything is wide two drawn in their past multiple world champions in “There was no ‘me’ in our of individualism, open for them. eight matches against China, the 1980s, said in an interview team when I was a volleyball and from the This means already have two triumphs with China Daily after the Sep- player some 20 years ago. The point of view of it’s easy to lose in 2007 over this year’s Cup the coaches, this I think the spirit is control.” hosts, having won 2-0 in means trouble. the reason behind Rising priz- China in January and 2-1 in Twenty-year- ing money is Portugal earlier this month. old Peng Shuai, our success. You another reason Overall, the US women have a Li Na’s national can win nothing for the chang- record of 18 victories 8 defeats teammate, ing attitudes. and 11 drawn in matches with raised a ruckus without it... NBA All-star China. last year when Some of them center Yao Ming “We’ve played China more she refused to are selfi sh and tops the Forbes times than any other team get up at 7am 2007 Chinese since I’ve been head coach,” for training at are not mentally celebrity rich US coach Greg Ryan said. the team’s base as strong as list with 260 “We know each other’s play- in Jiangmen, million yuan ers and style so well, there Guangdong those born in the ($34 million) are no surprises between the Province. 1970s. I prefer and 110-meter teams.” “I simply hurdles world cannot wake up personality record holder TABLE TENNIS in the morning during their Liu Xiang fol- and I should matches, not in lows with 58 Changhong gives backing train at the time I million yuan to national pastime want to,” she told their social lives. ($7.5 million). Development of China’s table head coach Jiang Grand Slam LIU GUOLIANG tennis received a major boost Hongwei. champions in the run-up to the 2008 Bei- Offi cials Head coach, table tennis Zheng Jie and jing Olympics when electric swiftly got their Yan Zi ranked giant Changhong signed a revenge by 12th after their deal with the Chinese Table making doubles specialist and combined prize money and Tennis Association. early-riser Sun Tiantian her sponsorship revenues topped Both sides refused to dis- new roommate. 14 million yuan ($1.8 million). Billiards player Zhou Mengmeng, 19, caused a storm in China’s close the amount of money Li herself is no stranger “I couldn’t image so much sporting circles by claiming she was sexually harassed by involved but the terms of the to controversy. As well as money when I played volleyball. a teammate during the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Later her contract includes Changhong quitting the team in 2001 I just wanted to contribute to father fi led a lawsuit against the Multi-ball Administrative becoming the major sponsor and consistently complain- my country and never thought Center for blocking Zhou from international matches and em- of the Chinese National Table ing about the quality of about payback,” said Sun. “But bezzling training funds ahead of the Doha Games. Lan Tian Tennis Team, and a strategic coaching, she is also a famed now there are too many temp- partner and major sponsor shopaholic. tations.” an army boot camp and another on my best behavior at all times of the Chinese Table Ten- After splashing out $3,000 week in a poor rural area, to if I want to keep on improving nis Association. Changhong on clothes and shoes for her Team spirit help him “realize how good his my tennis on tour.” products will be the offi cial husband during the WTA Liu Guoliang, head coach life is and see how poor people Deng admitted the fault products of the team and the Dubai Open last year, Li admit- of national table tennis team, live their lives.” was not all with the young association. In the next four ted to “going shopping as long said team spirit is badly Liu later attempted to im- athletes. years, Changhong will use as I have some spare time at needed ahead of the Beijing prove discipline by inviting the “The problems are normal to the world champion team in tournaments.” Olympics. country’s fi rst astronaut Yang some degree,” she said. “They market and brand promotion “I like walking around mar- “I think the spirit is the rea- Liwei to lecture players. are young, famous and rich, and the team will compete kets and buying things for my son behind our success. You Li Na, however, has said her you cannot avoid trouble in in international competitions husband and myself. It’s quite can win nothing without it,” he reputation as a troublemaker is this situation. including the Olympics and enjoyable,” she added. said last year, after kicking Qiu undeserved. “We need better manage- the World Championships The most notorious incident Yike off the national team for “I don’t really like being ment, different from the old with strong fi nancial support in recent months involved bil- getting drunk. “Some of them called a maverick or anything ways. We need to tell them from Changhong. liards player Zhou Mengmeng, are selfi sh and are not mentally like that,” she told China Daily what is right and not just pun- China’s Sports Minister Liu 19, who accused a male team- as strong as those born in the last year. ish them.” Peng called the cooperation a mate of sexually harassing 1970s. I prefer personality dur- “I have never tried to chal- “Those born after 1980 are historical one bringing two of her at December’s Doha Asian ing their matches, not in their lenge the authority of the Chi- very active and charismatic, so China’s bests together. Games before quitting the social lives.” nese Tennis Association (CTA), we have to improve ourselves Table tennis, a national tournament. Another men’s table tennis never. I’ve always felt we are before managing them,” Xin pastime, has been winning Officials were angry that player, Chen Qi, landed himself a family and the CTA are my Qingshan, former national pride for China for about half Zhou, a Gucci addict who has in hot water with Liu when he parents. How can I leave my short-track skating team, was a century. China has won spoken of her collection of 30 kicked a chair and threw his family when trivial problems quoted as saying on Sina.com. over 100 titles at the Olympic China’s women’s tennis No 1 Li Na, who last year became the bags, used the media to vent her bat after losing in the 2006 occur?” “We should try to protect them Games, the World Champion- fi rst Chinese player to reach the quarterfi nals of a grand slam anger and banned her from do- Asian Cup. “I am very calm now. I’ve re- because the country invests ships and World Cup in the tournament, is arguably the most famous of a growing num- mestic competition. Authorities punished him by alized I need to get used to the so much in training top ath- last 50 years.