Wang resumes national duty with 'heroic' Wuhan spirit

Steel Roses' star Wang Shuang is finally rejoining the women's national team after the lockdown of China's COVID-19 epicenter Wuhan was lifted on Wednesday.

Wang and two of her national teammates, Yao Wei and Lyu Yueyun, have been confined to their homes for the last two months in the Hubei province capital, which was locked down in late January in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

According to The Beijing News, the three Chinese internationals left Wuhan on Wednesday for Suzhou, Jiangsu province, where the Steel Roses squad is preparing for an Olympic qualifying playoff against South Korea.

The return of former Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Wang is considered a huge boost to China's chances of overcoming the Koreans and booking a place at next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics.

"For the past 70-plus days, I've stayed in my hometown like all Wuhan people," Wang told a local TV station. "During the day I could not join the national team to prepare for the Olympic qualifiers. Each day, I did strength training and ball work to keep myself in peak condition.

"With a strong will of refusing to give up, the Wuhan people have been through this tough time. Wuhan is a heroic city and Wuhan citizens are all heroic people. After the pandemic, I want to keep fighting for the honor of our country. I will bring the spirit of Wuhan to each match in the future."

The Chinese Football Association reportedly sent a car to Wuhan to pick up the three players, who will face another 14-day quarantine in Suzhou.

Wang, Yao and Lyu all missed an Olympic qualification tournament in Australia in February. However, Jia Xiuquan's squad overcame their absence and refused to wilt amid numerous virus-related logistical difficulties to book the playoff berth against South Korea.

The two-legged showdown had originally been scheduled for March, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the Asian Football Confederation to reschedule the matches－initially until April and then once again until June. A further postponement would come as no surprise in these uncertain times.

"I hope through this opportunity (in Suzhou), we can thoroughly summarize our experience in Australia," said national team head coach Jia.

"It's not only about the improvement on the technical level. What's more important is their mentality. No matter what kind of difficulties we face, we should never complain and hesitate to solve problems."

Wang's speedy departure for Suzhou will help quell rumors of her supposed problematic relationship with coach Jia. The former PSG star was noticeably absent from a 23-player roster announced in late March, fueling speculation of a rift with Jia that dates back to Wang's omission from his starting XI for a 2019 World Cup loss against Germany in France.