GUANGZHOU, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese women's volleyball team, which seemed silent in recent years, hope to come to the upcoming Asian Games with a bang.
Yu Juemin, who was appointed on September 2 and became the team's third coach in the past 18 months, vowed to win the gold medal in the Guangzhou Asiad which will start on Friday.
The 2004 Olympic champions began to decline after wrapping up a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics on home soil. Since a stunning defeat by less fancied Thailand for the first time in the 2009 Asian Championship, they have yet to regain form and confidence.
Former head coach Cai Bin, widely criticized, was dismissed shortly after the championship, while his successor Wang Baoquan also resigned after only six months at the helm.
"We have great pressure in the Asian Games. The Chinese team are in a very difficult situation now," said Yu on Tuesday in Tokyo where China is competing at the 2010 World Championships.
"Asian teams, such as South Korea, Thailand and Japan, have improved a lot in recent years, and they will make much trouble to the Chinese team."
China lost to South Korea 3-0 at the worlds for the first time in eight years and their hope to enter the quarterfinals was harmed after losing to Serbia 3-1. The last time China were unable to reach last eight was in 1974, when they placed 14th.
The Asiad defending champions, third in FIVB's latest world rankings, also have a hard draw in Guangzhou, facing the 12th-ranked Thailand, 21st South Korea and Tajikistan.
But Yu, who had been the assistant coach of the Chinese team for eight years, showed his desire for victories.
"But we are confident in the Asian Games. Our goal is to strive for the gold medal," Yu said. "We won't have much time to prepare for the Asiad, but we had prepared a lot even before the World Championship."
In the men's competition, the traditional Asian troika, China, Japan and South Korea, together with western Asian powerhouse Iran, all have a chance for gold medal.
The Chinese men's team is trapped in a much tougher situation than their women counterparts.
Coach Zhou Jian'an is aware that he is deep in hot water as his side lost to Iran, Japan and South Korea and only ranked fourth in 2009 Asian Championship, the worst result for China in the event's history.
In the 2010 World Championship, China won one single set in three matches and placed 19th, another worst performance.
The Asiad might be Zhou's last chance and any other medal than gold could send him packing.
