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’
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.”
In one scene, Chen, while still only a junior member of the coaching squad, is seen grabbing a chicken leg from a food tray after a canteen worker had refused to give it to him as he was not a member of the women’s team and therefore not entitled to have it.
But Chen ignores her and bites into the meat, saying: “I just want to eat the chicken leg. I deserve chicken leg.”
The newspaper report said that after seeing how he had been portrayed, Chen wrote to the General Administration of Sports of China – one of the film’s financial backers – asking for all the scenes in which he appeared to be deleted.
The filmmakers had “ignored reality” and used his character for comic effect, he said.
Now 62, Chen is portrayed as a young man by Peng Yuchang and in later life by Huang Bo.
The former coach also accused the film’s producers of trying to cash in on the success of the women’s volleyball team.
“We played not for fame or money, but for our country,” he said. “We definitely won’t allow film companies to make money through the propaganda of the Chinese women’s volleyball team.”
Chen’s latest comments are in stark contrast to the optimism he expressed in October, when he joined Chan and members of the current women’s volleyball team in promoting the film at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Fuzhou.
“I have great faith in Peter Chan and deeply believe that this film will surely deliver positive energy to everyone,” he was quoted as saying in a report by China Daily.
The sports administration said on Thursday it was aware of Chen’s complaints and would consider the matter before making a statement.
