Coach Yu assumes women's volleyball hot seat
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Yu Juemin is the new head coach of the Chinese women's volleyball team, the China Volleyball Association (CVA) announced on Wednesday.
However, in an opinion poll launched by leading web portal sina.com after former coach Wang Baoquan's resignation, citing health problems on Sept 2, Yu finished last among a potential list of nominees with only 5.7 percent of the vote.
Former head coaches Chen Zhonghe and Lang Ping got 54.7 percent and 24.5 percent, respectively.
"The volleyball administrative center consulted coaches from 15 cities and Chen was the most popular one," said Xu Li, chief of the center. "We made contact with Chen Zhonghe and Lang Ping, but they declined to accept the invitation due to health reasons."
"Yu is the most ideal person for the position - after Lang and Chen," Xu said. "He has worked with the women's team for six years, assisting Chen Zhonghe, Cai Bin and Wang Baoquan. He is familiar with the team and has a lot of experience."
Yu's tenure will end after the London Olympic Games. He will make his head coaching debut at the Asian Cup in Taicang from Sept 19-25 and then lead the team at the Guangzhou Asian Games in November.
The CVA also said Lai Yawen, who worked as the team's assistant coach from 2001 to 2004, would return to the fold in that role.
Born in 1960, Yu was on the Chinese men's team that finished eighth at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. He started his coaching career in 1989 in Zhejiang province. In 2001, he was appointed as an assistant coach to the men's national team. He transferred to the women's squad in 2005.
Yu's predecessor, Wang, finished with a 20-10 win-loss record, including the championship title at the Swiss Masters and a runner-up finish at the Presidents Cup in Russia.
The team also took first place in Hangzhou and finished second in Luohe during the China Masters series.
In the Women's Volleyball World Grand Prix, China came first in Chengdu, second in Hong Kong and third in Macao before claiming fourth at the grand prix final in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.
