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Volleyball League has Some Hope of Recovery
"Give us more freedom, and we will do much better." This was spoken from the bottom of the hearts of China's volleyball club managers, who are fighting against the confinements imposed on them by the nation's volleyball association.
Those obstacles, they claim, have prevented them from improving their teams despite the large input of financial and human resources that have gone into them over recent years.
Their request has, it seems, been answered. The association, who control the league, has promised to loosen its grip and has offered them the chance to run league matches, an offer made during the annual convention for club managers on July 16 and 17.
This late move by the association may threaten the success of future matches, but it will mean a lot to the clubs - sold-out tickets, packed stadiums, advertisements everywhere, all of which may well enable them to make a fortune and revitalize the league.
Because of its declining popularity, the Chinese volleyball league has slumped in this, its fifth year. Despite a massive attempt to save it, the league, scotched by ever-decreasing spectators and sponsors, is coming close to being suspended.
More than 10 companies have stopped sponsoring the sport in the last four years. Things became worse last year when the league found itself without a sponsor until Guangdong Vinda Company offered to help at the eleventh hour.
Nothing has improved this year, and the league has so far only received the sponsorship of the Bubugao Company.
The sport's past glories - five world titles straight in the 1980s for the women's team - mean nothing now and fans have shown very little interest in this years volleyballers, who have been performing poorly in the international arena.
Embarrassed by the league's poor performance, the association took major innovative moves during the two-day discussion, mainly on two points - management and the league schedule.
The new season's league will now be divided into three phases that will last for 15 weeks and have 174 matches.
The 12 participating teams will play in three groups. The top two of each group will enter the second phase to decide two final candidates.
The finalists will play a best-of-three for the overall title.
These changes are expected to make the league more competitive. However, for club owners, the other move is much more important and some of them see it as their last chance.
"We are separated from the other leagues by a huge gap in popularity. The soccer and basketball leagues have achieved great successes," said the association's vice-head Xu Li.
"We are trying to find a way to improve the league and we hope the changes will help, although we are as yet unsure.
"But we are confident that we will eventually make things better," said Xu.
The poor international record of China's national team is also a problem and has turned fans away.
The once glorious women's team who fought to the last for an Olympic ticket last month ultimately succeeded.
The men's side left Beijing last Friday for Greece for the qualifiers, their last chance to get to Sydney. Their hopes are, however, pretty slim.
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