Zhuhai Olympians eager to compete

ZHUHAI athletes Li Qiang, Liang Peixing, Liang Zhongxing, Zhu Jie and Zhang Geng are in the capital for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. While the five make their Olympics debut, 33-year-old native Li Jing will play on the Hong Kong Table Tennis Team.
Li Qiang, 19, will take part in the single-man kayak while Liang Peixing, 17, is in the four-women 500m kayak event.
Liang Zhongxing, 21, is a key player on the Chinese National Men’s Water Polo Team. Meanwhile, Zhu Jie, 29, and Zhang Geng, 25, are the only two athletes from Guangdong on the Chinese National Women’s Handball Team.
After training at Doumen Sports School between 2003 and 2006, Li Qiang won the 2005 National Youth Racing Boat Championship, the 2006 Guangdong Provincial Sports Games, took third in the 2007 World Cup, and won many other honours.
He has very strong psychological stability and anti-jamming capability, Yuan Dong, Li’s former coach at Doumen Sports School, said. Kayak athletes are expected to excel after eight to ten years’ training, but Li eclipses many with training of only five years, he said, hoping Li can win a big honour for Zhuhai and China.
Two years younger than Li, Liang Peixing has won championships at Guangdong Provincial Sports Games, National Youth Racing Boat Championship, World Youth Racing Boat Championship and other games.
She works hard and has a good sense of the sport, Yuan said, adding that she is in superb form and confident.
Liang’s sisters, Zhuanhao and Liping, are world-known kayak athletes from Doumen Sports School. She is following in her sisters’ footsteps and is expected to outperform them, he noted.
Liang Zhongxing was selected to train in handball at Doumen Sports School in 1998. He won fourth place in the 2000 Guangdong Provincial Youth Handball Competition and sixth place at a national game the same year. He was nominated to the National Handball Team in 2005 and won the 2005 Asian Age Group Swimming Championships. He won a Gold Medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
China came in 13th at the World Swimming Championships Melbourne 2007, which has been its best outcome in the world games over the past few years. China National Handball Team is targeting 8th place in the Beijing Olympics. Liang can make outstanding achievements only if he plays as usual, Feng Bingyou, Liang’s former coach at Doumen Sports School, pointed out.
Zhu Jie was nominated to the National Handball Team in 2001. He won 7th place at 2002 Busan Asian Games and champion at the 2007 Hong Kong SAR International Handball Invitation Tournament.
Zhu worked hard and practiced three or four hours more than other athletes every day when he was in Zhuhai, Zhu’s former coach, Chen Qijie, explained. He was happy that Zhu would represent his country. He also hopes that Zhu can present his hometown with the best outcome.
Zhang Geng took 4th place at the Bangkok Asian Games and a Silver Medal at the 2002 Asia Tournament. She was selected by the Zhuhai Sports School in 1994. She was nominated to Guangdong Women’s Handball Team the next year and then the National Women’s Handball Team in 1998.
She used to be a leading player and a key scorer, Coach Chen Qijie said. She is in progressive competitive readiness and her experience in international games will help her in the Olympics, he noted.
“Although handball is not as popular as other athletic events in China, it is a very important part of my life. I hope I can perform well in Beijing and I hope more and more people will like the sport,” Zhang said.
Li Jing, the No. 1 men’s table tennis player either in Zhuhai or Hong Kong, won men’s double Silver Medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and men’s double champion at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
Practicing always as if in heat of competition is his secret, Li said. It is easy to play well at practice, but difficult in a contest. Therefore, it is important to keep the mind at ease while keeping up the best level, he explained. An athlete 33 years old, Li understands that he is inferior in muscle power, response speed and rehabilitation. He has to work harder on tactics, he said, vowing to try his best to fight for his townspeople.
Xu Jusheng, vice-chief coach of the China National Kayak Team, said the team has been practicing behind closed doors in Yanqing County of Beijing since June 17 to be in peak condition for the event. They will move to the event site in Shunyi County next Tuesday to adjust to the competition venue, climate and living conditions, he said.
Li Qiang and Liang Peixing are the youngest players on the national team. They were selected for their outstanding skills and their future potential, Xu noted. Li achieved the best score and is in good playing condition. His task is to make a breakthrough in the 500m single-man kayak event and try to enter the final, while Liang Peixing is targeting a four-women kayak medal, Xu said.
A six-member Zhuhai Daily Beijing Olympics Report Team has arrived in Beijing to cover the world sports game. Meanwhile, a newspaper special edition with news stories and schedules will be published daily during the games.
The Zhuhai Daily is soliciting Olympic comments from the public expressing your ideas, greetings or feelings at www.zhnews.net. Twenty selected remarks will earn gifts for their presenters.
(ZD News)