Chinese women's handball team will face African champion Angola in the third game at Beijing Olympics here on Wednesday. Only a victory can help China keep their hope to enter the quarterfinal.
Host China lost both of the first two games to Norway and Romania respectively. However, Chinese coach Kang Jae Won did not lose hope. "We still have three games to play. It is not the time for us to think about the effect of previous defeats. We need to concentrate on the coming games,"said Kang in the post-match conference after China was beaten by Romania on Monday.
"China is a good team with great potential. If they can play every game as they did when facing Norway, they will have chance to make it into the semifinal,"said coach of Romania Gheorghe Tadici.
China lost to European Champion Norway 23-30 in the opening game at Beijing Games, but they only trailed one point in the first half and posed great threat to the opponent.
African champion Angola also shared China's misery of two straight losses. However, coach Vivaldo Edu ardo blamed Angola's defeats on the missing of their starting pivot Bombo Calandula, who twisted her knee in the beginning of Saturday's game and never managed to return to the court again.
Winning the two previous encounters in 1993 and 1995, China should have enjoyed psychological advantage. But history only reflects the past and the Angolan side, finishing 7th in 2007 world championship, will by no means be happy to pave road for the host.
(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2008)