Chinese coach laments dearth of young talent

GUANGZHOU - Chinese coach Jiang Hongwei was overjoyed at reclaiming the women's tennis team gold in Guangzhou, but he worries that winning the battle may have cost his country the war in terms of securing future success in the sport.

Grand Slam semifinalist Li Na and former world top 30 player Peng Shuai met little resistance en route to defeating Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the final this week, and grabbing an Asiad title that eluded the country for 24 years. Its last win was at Seoul in 1986.

However, China's reliance on its aging stars means that younger players aren't getting a chance to acquaint themselves with the pressure of performing at such a pressurized event, a trend that Jiang thinks will see China suffer when the old guard retires.

"I am certainly overwhelmed at having led the team to this long-awaited win, but one of the goals of the Asian Games is to push the youngsters to take over the baton," he told China Daily. "I don't think I've achieved that."

Jiang was an instrumental part in China's move to adopt professional training methods in the sport after the 2004 Athens Olympics.

After adopting the mantle of women's head coach in 2005, he raised eyebrows by allowing national players to keep more of their prize money from the professional tour, and having their boyfriends and husbands tag along with the coaching team.

Before this, spouses and partners were banned, and the Chinese Tennis Association took the majority of its stars' winnings to help cover the costs of coaches, facilities and traveling fees.

Jiang helped build his reputation by showing he was able to tame Li Na, a former firebrand who quickly butted heads with each new coach.

Li and Peng represented half of a quartet of top players including Yan Zi and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Zheng Jie who left the state-supported system and self-managed their careers after the Beijing Olympics under Jiang's guidance.

The problem is that, in the interim, he has been unable to get the next generation on the same track.

"The young players are stuck at a certain level and I don't know what's going wrong," he said. "They are provided with better conditions, but they have not managed to acquit themselves on the international stage."

Apart from Li, Peng and Yan (Zheng is out with a wrist injury), the Chinese team includes world No 91 Zhang Shuai, aged 21, and Han Xinyun, 20. Neither of the youngsters played in a singles match in Guangzhou.

"They are unable to face the challenge like their older teammates and, frankly speaking, I am worried about their future," said the coach.

Zhang played four doubles matches with Yan, but it was Li and Peng who sealed victory for China with their singles wins.

Zhang and Han are considered the cream of the crop of China's new tennis talent, but they were criticized recently by China's tennis chief, Sun Jinfang for not working hard enough and lacking fighting spirit.

"If things do not improve, we will shift our attention to new players," Jiang said.

The coach feels China will have its back against the wall at the 2012 Olympics in London.

"The Asian Games is like a mid-term exam and a tune-up for the Olympics," he said. "If our young players are not able to deliver here, then clearly our chances at the Olympics are going to be fairly slim."

China Daily