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Kim-size command over China's women hockey
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-12-27 09:39

For Kim Chang-back and his hard-working Chinese women's field hockey players, fourth place at the Athens Olympic Games was nothing less than a disappointment which made 2004 rather sad.


China's women field hockey team greets the audience befor the match starts. [newsphoto]

Only managing to move up one space in the final rankings from fifth in Sydney despite the overwhelming desire to win gold was deeply unsatisfactory for the Chinese team and Kim.

At the Sydney Games, he led a group of unfancied Chinese players to take the scalps of several high-ranking teams, including the Netherlands and Germany, en route to the final standings.

But things were different in Athens. Years of training after Sydney raised the squad's standings even further, into one of the world's best and the gold favourite.

Olympic drama

China experienced a dream-like opening in Greece, going into the semi-finals with a stunning winning streak, beating Japan 3-0, New Zealand 2-0, Spain 3-0 and Argentina 3-2.

But the team was knocked back down to Earth with their loss to Germany, lower ranking tournament underdogs.

A hard-working and defensive Germany pulled goal-shy China into penalties at the end of a 0-0 scoreline as Kim's team paid the price for wasting five penalty corners in the second-half and another five in the opening seven-and-a-half minutes of extra-time.

The luck was not with the Chinese side this time - even with Nie Yali, the 2002 World Best Goalkeeper, who made several heroic saves to give the squad its first major international title in another shoot-out between China and Argentina in the 2002 Macao tournament. This time is was Germany who emerged as the final winner, 4-3 on penalties the final score.

The next match against Argentina was a 1-0 loss for the Chinese and meant the bronze was also beyond their reach.

Germany did go onto win the gold, upsetting other title favourites the Netherlands, but that small fact was largely missed.

"I am so sorry that I could not bring the team home with a gold medal," Kim said. "I am very regretful."

Kim's choice

The defeat has left Kim reconsidering his future as coach. The 49-year-old has stayed in China for four and a half years and the Athens Games is already his fourth quest for an Olympic gold.

With the Korean national team, he finished with a silver medal in the 1988 Seoul games and a fourth place in 1992 in Barcelona. He saw Athens with the Chinese team as his best chance to strike Olympic gold, the only title missing from his championship cabinet, but the most important one.

"I am not sure I will coach the Chinese team for another four years and I need to think about it," he said in Athens.

His gloomy attitude means Chinese officials must think again about choosing a coach who is able to lead the Chinese to a better result in four years' time on home soil.

A tough temper and the challenge from South Korean champion coach Kim Sang-ryul, who led the South Korean men's team to a silver medal in Sydney, also makes another term uncertain.

However, Kim Chang-back decided to stay and Kim Sang-ryul has agreed to coach China's men's national team and is aiming for a medal in 2008.

Although the new official contract is yet to be announced, Kim Chang-back is already recruiting new talents around the nation to start another round of Olympic campaigning.

"I began to think about my shortcomings after the Athens Games," Kim said. "There is also a need to improve myself."

Bright future

Athens was not considered to be all bad. Fans had been woken up by Sydney's successful run, and Kim had proved to the world that the Chinese could play field hockey.

For the first time, the Chinese Field Hockey Association could raise its head up with the team being seen a gold potential.

It led to some generous support from central and local governments and the sport has grown around China.

In the National Championships ended earlier this month in Guangzhou, new teams like Shanghai and Jiangsu became medal contenders.

A bunch of new promising stars emerged during the tournament, giving Kim hope.

"I came to find new blood for the national team.

"We will start right from the beginning," he said.

Six veterans have been dropped. Last month, several fledglings played in the 2005 Champions Trophy in Argentina to come fifth with one win and one draw but four losses to Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands and Australia.

"Pain is inevitable and this is the price we have to pay," Kim said.



 
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