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China to Host Four-Nation Volleyball Tournament
The Chinese women's volleyball team, Olympic runners-up in Atlanta and fifth-place finishers in Sydney, will meet world champions Cuba at the four-nation volleyball tournament to be held early June in southeast China's Jiangsu province.
It is China's first international appearance since the national side were restructured in the wake of their disappointing performance in Sydney.
The Chinese women, who had won five straight world titles in the 1980s, have slumped to a low point, struggling to book an Olympic berth for Sydney where they were shut out of the top three.
In a bid to restore former glory in the 2004 Olympic Games, the Chinese team have been injected fresh blood which accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the team.
"It is an inexperienced team," said Xu Li, director of the Chinese Volleyball Management Center. "Coaches and players are in a process of getting to know each other. Players still need to hone their skills."
"But they are physically strong and working very hard in the 50-day training camp. It is a team with vigor and vitality," he added.
Besides Cuba, the host team will also play Australia, ninth in the Sydney Games, and Japan, which failed to qualify for the Sydney Games.
Cuba still feature in the tournament five Olympians, including Yunilka Ruiz, Ana Fernandez and Regla Torres, and nine players who had world championships experiences.
Following failure in the Olympic qualifiers, Japan keep 10 players of the former national side. Australia will send a team whose majority have attended the Sydney Olympics.
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