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 Sun Yujun of China tries to score as Anna Zubkova (6) and Natalya Shepelina (2) of Kazakhstan defend in the women's water polo gold-medal match at the 16th Asian Games on Wednesday . Yang Shizhong / China Daily |
Guangzhou - China has set its sights on the 2012 Olympic title after claiming its first-ever women's water polo gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou.
"I'm very happy to win the inaugural water polo competition at the Asian Games," said China's captain and goalkeeper, Yang Jun, after defeating Kazakhstan 13-5 on Wednesday.
"However, this is only a small test and the London Olympics is our ultimate goal. Every athlete wants to win an Olympic medal. We're not like the Chinese diving team, which is highly favored to win the gold, but we will strive for it," said the 22-year-old.
The victory in Guangzhou came only three months after China won its first medal in this event by finishing third at the World Cup in New Zealand.
Head coach Juan Jane Giralt, who guided Spain's national men's team to the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, has great confidence in China's women's squad.
"The top players in China are among the top players in the world," said Giralt, 57.
"I'm seeing a medal at next year's World Championships in Shanghai. I'm not sure of the color, but I see a medal. And I have the same feeling for the Olympics in London.
"The Unite States and Australia are the top two teams, followed by Canada, Russia, the Netherlands and us. We are in the same line. It is quite possible for us to take a medal.
"To win the gold is a big dream for all the athletes in the swimming pool. It is very difficult, but it is also not impossible. "
Compared to traditional powerhouses like the three-time Olympic medalists from the US and the 2000 Olympic champions from Australia, China is very young in the sport, but has improved very quickly since the national team was formed in 2004.
The team had its first international competition at the 2005 FIFA World Championships in Montreal, finishing dead last in the field of 16.
China then finished fifth in its Olympic debut at the Beijing Games, with a victory over defending champion Italy in the last game.
"We worked very hard over the past three years. We trained in the morning and in the afternoon. We watched videos. Little by little, we moved to another level and we are going up even higher," said Giralt, who joined the team in 2007.
"The biggest problem is that the most important players on the team are still very young and don't play well sometimes."
Yang echoed those sentiments.
"Compared to the US and Australia, we have much less experience. But we are making steady progress every day together as a young squad," she said.
"For other teams, the transition from older players to young hands might be difficult. I think we are catching up."
Uzbekistan won the Asian Games bronze after defeating India 20-2 to take the second Asian qualification berth for next year's Worlds in Shanghai.
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