China's head coach, Chen Zhonghe, is pinning his hopes on National Games champions Tianjin to lead the national team to victory in the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup, which starts in Tokyo today.
Tianjin, who won the National Games women's volleyball title in Nanjing last month, provide three of China's 12-strong squad for the six-team round-robin competition, contested every four years by the continental champions.
Libero Zhang Na, middle blocker Zhang Ping and wing spiker Li Juan are the Tianjin trio, and for Li it's her first time to join the national team. 'Her technique is very good in all aspects of play,' coach Chen said of the 23-year-old attacker, following a training session at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium yesterday.
'She played very well in the National Games, like all the members of the Tianjin team. They were strong in all positions.'
As the reigning Olympic champions, the world number one and the holders of the Grand Champions Cup, Asian champions China will start the fourth edition of this event as the favourites.
But Brazil, the South American champions, will provide a tough first test in the opening match of the tournament today.
Brazil won the annual World Grand Prix title in Sendai, Japan, in July, and victory here would confirm them as the world's top women's team for 2005.