Chinese Volleyball's Popularity DecliningThe bigger fame they used to have, the harder pain they felt while losing it.When packed stadiums, abundant plugs and an outstanding international record are far cry from their reach, Chinese volleyball professionals were really lost while facing an embarrassing setback in the sport. In the past four years, they have tried dozens of ways to promote the volleyball league as well as revitalize the sport in the nation with a glorious past. Things did not turn out so well and they find that they can hardly run the league any longer, although China's women national volleyball team won world championships five times in a row in the 1980s. Their recent international record has not lived up to that standard. In fact, both men's and women's teams have not done well since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Men's team finished second-to-last in last year's World Cup while the traditional medallists on the women's side had to settle for a fifth place and for the first time failed to get a direct Olympic berth. Both of them had to struggle during the Olympic qualifiers in July to win a trip to Sydney. Combating their sluggish situation, volleyball experts gathered again last month in Xiaoshan, Zhejiang Province, trying to work out a way to stop the downward trend. They organized several changes covering the league's schedule and grouping principles to stir up the rather dull league. But many professionals have doubts about these changes which are quite familiar with the previous ones. Instead, the two biggest hurdles in their eyes remain untouched. The one is "National Games Strategy" and the other is tight atmosphere for volleyball clubs. Due to the lavish prizes and the giant influence of the National Games held every four years, local sports leaders would rather focus their attentions on how their provincial teams can be the best in the National Games. But the league, by some means, fell victim to the Games because it is only regarded as a warm-up and testing field for the Games. "The league means less to local sport officials for they only are concerned about the National Games," said an official in Chinese Volleyball Association who was unwilling to give his name. The bias is also widely considered as the reason why Chinese athletes always perform much better in National Games than in the Olympics which is usually the following year of National Games. The volleyball owners are also between the beetle and block. Their role is only as league sponsor instead of the reported league manager. Confinements imposed by the volleyball association prevent them from promoting their businesses through the league besides the ads printed on their uniform. More than 10 companies have stopped sponsoring the sport in the last four years. "We have to be more open. We need to do more than that," the official said. |
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