Volleyball Nations League Hong Kong: China’s women team keen to test themselves at home
Coach Zhao Yong says team will use final preliminary tournament before finals to hone their performance against top-drawer opponents
The coach of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team said the team were looking forward to testing themselves on home soil in the Hong Kong leg of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) starting on Wednesday, saying they had to learn to focus on their own performance when facing elite opponents.
For the young Chinese squad, the five-day tournament – their final preliminary campaign before the finals in Macau later this month – will feature consecutive matches against Canada, Ukraine, the Dominican Republic and Italy, and will serve as a crucial opportunity to fine-tune their roster and build confidence through strong results.
On Tuesday, a day before the opening matches, head coach Zhao Yong shared details on the team’s preparations ahead of a training session, alongside captain Gong Xiangyu and representatives from the five other competing nations.
Belgium, the other side to feature at Kai Tak Sports Arena, will not face China during the Hong Kong leg.
Zhao expressed his delight at playing in Hong Kong for the third leg and added that he looked forward to the coming fixtures despite facing four formidable opponents.
“The four opponents in Hong Kong are all very strong. We must first focus on our own performance to fight hard in every match against every opponent,” Zhao said, adding that “I also look forward to the coming performance of each player and the whole team”.