China's women's ice hockey team have set their sights on gold
while their men's counterparts will strive to finish in the top
three at the 6th Winter Asian Games, opening on Sunday in
Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province.
The women's team, who have won twice before, only got bronze in
Aomori, Japan, in 2003.
"The girls are determined to win back the gold. They are highly
spirited and motivated now," said Ji Junfeng, an ice hockey
official with the State General Administration of Sports.
China finished top of the podium at the 1996 Games in Harbin and
made a successful defence three years later in Kangwon, South
Korea, before being beaten into bronze in Japan.
After failing to qualify for the 2006 Turin Olympics,
understandable considering there are only around 100 full-time
women ice hockey players in China, the team underwent a major
change.
New blood was infused in 2005 when 11 students from Harbin
Sports School joined the team and Finland's Jorma Siitarinen, the
fourth foreign coach, took over in 2006.
"These players will be put to the test when they face Japan and
Kazakhstan, who are our major rivals in the Games," he said.
Japan have been runners-up for the past three Games while
Kazakhstan upset China to win the gold last time after finishing
third twice.
Chinese men's ice hockey, champions in the first and second
Winter Games, also have a new foreign coach on board. But with
Japan and Kazakhstan strong, a podium finish is considered a good
result.
Jarmo Jamalainen, also from Finland, has had little time to
prepare for the Games as he only took over the team last week.
Pooled in Group C with Kuwait and Macao, the team's first test
is likely to come from South Korea in the second phase.
"It will be a tough battle for them," Ji predicted.
(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2007)