Former coach of China’s women’s volleyball team Chen Zhonghe outraged at ‘ugly’ film portrayal

‘There’s enough evidence to sue,’ championship winning coach says about upcoming film celebrating 40 years of team’s success

In one scene, a young Chen is seen snatching food from a canteen worker, saying ‘I just want to eat the chicken leg. I deserve chicken leg’

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Chen Zhonghe, the former coach of the Chinese women’s volleyball team, has complained about how he was portrayed in a new film. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:19pm, 9 Jan 2020Updated: 8:15pm, 17 Feb 2020

The former coach of China’s women’s national volleyball team, who led them to victory in the 2003 World Cup and the 2004 Athens Olympics, says he is outraged at the “ugly” way in which he has been portrayed in an upcoming film.

The movie, titled Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team, which is set to be released across the country on January 25 – the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday – tells the story of the team over the past four decades.

But according to Chen Zhonghe, who was coach of the national team from 2001 to 2009, the film, directed by Hong Kong-born Peter Chan Ho-sun, is exploitative and defamatory, Yangtze Evening News reported on Wednesday.

“Despite my strong opposition, they still marketed the film by taking advantage of my ugly manners in it,” Chen was quoted as saying.

“There’s enough evidence to sue them. They’ve infringed my name, image and reputation.”

Members of the current China team celebrate winning the gold medal at last year’s World Cup in Japan. Photo: AFP