Chinese Coach Laments Dearth of Young Talent
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NOVEMBER 17, 20 CHINA DAILY PAGE 16 TOP TALK HAPPY Chinese coach TO BE laments dearth BACK of young talent By YU YILEI CHINA DAILY GUANGZHOU — Chinese coach Jiang Hongwei was overjoyed at reclaiming the women’s tennis team gold in Guangzhou, but he worries that winning the battle may have cost his country the war in terms of securing future success in the sport. Grand Slam semifinalist Li Na and former world top 30 player Peng Shuai met little resistance en route to defeating Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the fi nal this week, and grabbing an Asiad title that eluded Li Na celebrates a the country for 24 years. Its last win was winning point against at Seoul in 1986. Chang Kai-chen of One of the goals Chinese Taipei in the However, China’s reliance on its aging women’s team fi nal on stars means that younger players aren’t of the Asian Games Tuesday. getting a chance to acquaint themselves is to push the with the pressure of performing at such a pressurized event, a trend that Jiang youngsters to take thinks will see China suff er when the old over the baton. guard retires. I don’t think I’ve “I am certainly overwhelmed at having achieved that.” led the team to this long-awaited win, but ‘‘ one of the goals of the Asian Games is JIANG HONGWEI to push the youngsters to take over the WOMEN’S TENNIS COACH baton,” he told China Daily. “I don’t think I’ve achieved that.” Jiang was an instrumental part in ditions, but they have not managed to acquit China’s move to adopt professional train- themselves on the international stage.” NICOLAS ASFOURI / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ing methods in the sport aft er the 2004 Apart from Li, Peng and Yan (Zheng is Athens Olympics. out with a wrist injury), the Chinese team By YU YILEI Tuesday night. “We exchanged a lot of girl Aft er adopting the mantle of women’s includes world No 91 Zhang Shuai, aged CHINA DAILY talk at night.” head coach in 2005, he raised eyebrows 21, and Han Xinyun, 20. Neither of the On court, Li admitted she was not accus- by allowing national players to keep more youngsters played in a singles match in GUANGZHOU — For Li Na, everything was tomed to instructions from the team’s head of their prize money from the professional Guangzhou. fun when she took the court for Team China coach, Jiang Hongwei, throughout the match. tour, and having their boyfriends and hus- “Th ey are unable to face the challenge on Tuesday. Her coach, Swede Th omas Hogstedt, and bands tag along with the coaching team. like their older teammates and, frankly Th e world No 11 had not played for China her husband, Jiang Shan, were sitting in the Before this, spouses and partners were speaking, I am worried about their since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where stands while head coach Jiang was next to banned, and the Chinese Tennis Associa- future,” said the coach. she reached the semifi nals and made national the court. tion took the majority of its stars’ win- Zhang played four doubles matches tennis history. However, the first people Li looks to for nings to help cover the costs of coaches, with Yan, but it was Li and Peng who Since then, the Wuhan native has focused on inspiration are Hogstedt and her husband, facilities and traveling fees. sealed victory for China with their pro tour and not answered China’s call to join as she frequently looks up to them aft er los- Jiang helped build his reputation by singles wins. the Federation Cup lineup. ing a point. And she appeared a bit impatient showing he was able to tame Li Na, a for- Zhang and Han are considered the “It’s absolutely fun competing as a national when coach Jiang tried to talk to her during mer fi rebrand who quickly butted heads cream of the crop of China’s new tennis team member, and diff erent from the feeling a break. with each new coach. talent, but they were criticized recently of being a professional player on the tour,” Li “I could not help it (looking at Hogstedt and Li and Peng represented half of a by China’s tennis chief, Sun Jinfang for said after helping her team defeat Chinese Jiang),” she said. “I am not used to talking to a quartet of top players including Yan Zi not working hard enough and lacking Taipei 2-1 to win the women’s team title at the coach at every break because there is no such and two-time Grand Slam semifi nalist fi ghting spirit. Guangzhou Asian Games. on-court instruction on the professional tour.” Zheng Jie who left the state-supported “If things do not improve, we will shift While the pro tour means moving from city Aft er starting the season with a semifi nal system and self-managed their careers our attention to new players,” Jiang said. to city and hotel to hotel with a fi xed support finish at the Australian Open and end- aft er the Beijing Olympics under Jiang’s Th e coach feels China will have its back team, inclusion on the national team provides ing with an Asian Games gold medal, Li guidance. against the wall at the 2012 Olympics in joys such as doing everything with teammates, has had her best pro season so far; one in Th e problem is that, in the interim, he London. and even sharing girls’ talk with roommates. which she also broke into the world top 10. has been unable to get the next generation “Th e Asian Games is like a mid-term “I lived in the Athletes’ Village and shared Now all she needs is a good rest. on the same track. exam and a tune-up for the Olympics,” he an apartment with Han Xinyun (a younger “Th is was a very long season and I want to “Th e young players are stuck at a certain said. “If our young players are not able to teammate),” said Li, who will not take part have a good rest before thinking about what I level and I don’t know what’s going wrong,” deliver here, then clearly our chances at the in the singles event and left the village on will achieve next season,” she said. he said. “Th ey are provided with better con- Olympics are going to be fairly slim.”.