BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) — With roughly six months to go till the nineteenth Asian Games open in Hangzhou, China’s athletes throughout a variety of sports activities from desk tennis to interrupt dancing are seizing each second of their preparations amid hopes of shining on the quadrennial Games.
For China’s all-conquering desk tennis squad, something however repeating their haul of 5 titles on the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, can be thought-about a failure.
Prior to the September 23-October 8 Asian Games, Chinese paddlers face one other robust check – the World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) Finals, which is slated for May 20-28 in Durban, South Africa.
“The two major tournaments this year will offer us opportunities to observe and select suitable players for our Paris 2024 campaign,” mentioned Liu Guoliang, president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA).
China has gained 32 out of a doable 37 gold medals since desk tennis debuted on the Olympic Games in 1988.
Liu, previously a a number of Olympic and world champion, mentioned that China is strongly in competition for one more clear sweep of all titles subsequent 12 months in Paris, whereas admitting the problem can be enormous.
“The key is to select a squad that has the biggest strength and can handle the pressure,” he mentioned.
The Chinese diving squad, one other perennial dominant staff on the Olympic stage, held a check competitors on the finish of February to tremendous tune their type forward of the brand new season.
“Hopefully there will be more competitions and I can win more titles in the new season,” mentioned Olympic and world champion Chen Yuxi, who completed first within the ladies’s 10m platform within the check.
In addition to the World Aquatics Diving World Cups in Xi’an, Montreal and Berlin, Chinese divers will even compete within the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in July and the Hangzhou Asian Games.
“Due to the tight schedule, mentally we need to make comprehensive preparations and adjust our athletes to the atmosphere of major tournaments,” commented staff supervisor Zhou Jihong.
Several Chinese athletes who compete abroad have additionally laid on morale-boosting performances currently.
At the International Gymnastics Federation’s World Cup in Doha this month, Olympic champion Liu Yang grabbed the lads’s rings gold medal after recovering from damage.
“My main target this year is the Asian Games, where I hope to win the team and rings gold medals,” mentioned Liu, who had not taken half in any worldwide competitions for the reason that Tokyo Olympics.
For rising tennis star Wu Yibing, who was born and grew up in Hangzhou, the desire to win the Asian Games gold is even stronger.
Wu rose to fame in February when he claimed the ATP Dallas Open title, turning into the primary Chinese mainland participant to carry an ATP Tour trophy.
“Since I’m a Hangzhou native, I hope to win the Asian gold at home,” mentioned the 23-year-old, who completed runner-up on the 2018 Asian Games.
Equestrian rider Alex Hua Tian, who is about to make his third Asian Games look in Hangzhou, savored a “big win to start a big year” after claiming a gold medal within the CCI level-4 occasion lately held in Montelibretti, Italy.
“There is a lot to do this year with individual and team Olympic qualification as well as the Asian Games and it is a huge relief that all of mine, my horses’ and team’s hard work over the winter is paying off,” mentioned the 33-year-old rider.
“This is just the beginning of the season, there is still a lot to do. The most important thing is to take heart but keep composure and keep working hard,” he added.
Liu Qingyi, who pocketed silver on the 2022 WDSF World Breaking Championships final October, continued her tremendous type with a convincing victory on the Breaking for Gold World Series 2023, the primary Olympic factors occasion in breakdancing this 12 months. The 17-year-old prodigy beat Japan’s house favourite and world champion Ami Yuasa in a tense last.
Liu has set her purpose this 12 months as qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics as early as doable, along with her thoughts already on a podium end on the Games.
“I hope I can get the qualification as early as possible this year so I can prepare some ‘secret weapons’ for the Games,” she mentioned.
With China’s first-ever lengthy soar world title below his belt, Wang Jianan expects to construct momentum on his achievements final 12 months to ship his greatest on the worlds and the Asian Games.
Making a breakthrough can be within the thoughts of the ladies’s javelin Olympic champion Liu Shiying.
Having achieved glory prior to now, China’s ladies’s basketball and soccer groups are each trying ahead to their 2023 campaigns.
China gained a silver medal on the FIBA Women’s World Cup in 2022, equaling its greatest outcome within the world basketball showpiece, with Zheng Wei named the match’s greatest coach.
With the Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games looming, Zheng remained cool-headed in direction of the upcoming journey, whereas exhibiting her confidence within the staff.
“We have already set a new goal for the team after the World Cup. We are not a strong side despite winning silver at the World Cup,” Zheng instructed Xinhua.
“Everything will start from scratch when we step down from the podium. We need to take it as our goal in every major tournament in the future, and hopefully we can make it happen in Paris,” she added.
China beat South Korea within the AFC Women’s Asian Cup last in final February, bringing house its ninth trophy of the match after a 16-year wait.
Shui Qingxia, Zheng’s counterpart within the nationwide ladies’s soccer staff, is eyeing a spot within the final eight for her facet, often known as the Steel Roses, on the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The quadrennial match is the primary main competitors for China this 12 months, previous to the Asian Games and the Olympic qualifiers.
“Winning the AFC Women’s Asian Cup doesn’t necessarily mean that we are a powerhouse in women’s football. Physically speaking, we are still lagging behind those European teams. Despite the challenges, we never give up chasing our dreams,” commented Shui.