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'Iron Hammer' to coach Guangdong local club

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-11 16:07

Lang Ping, former China and US national volleyball head coach, has accepted an offer to coach the Guangdong Hengda women's club,the Beijing Times reported Tuesday.

In this file photo, Lang Ping, coach of the US gestures during the first phase match of FIVB Volleyball World Cup 2007 between the U.S. and Cuba in Hamamatsu, central Japan Nov. 3, 2007. [Xinhua]

A Hengda staff member confirmed the news and said the club is going to hold a press conference tomorrow and make a formal announcement.

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Coaching in Hengda will be Lang's first coaching job in China in 11 years.

"I'm happy about Lang's decision. I believe Lang's coaching back home will be good for our country's volleyball," Chen Zhonghe, vice director of the Fujian Bureau of Sports, said.

Lang was known as the "Iron Hammer" during her playing days on the Chinese team in the 1980s. She helped the Chinese team win five consecutive titles including a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, a World Championship title, Asian Games first runner-up in 1982 and two World Cup crowns in 1981 and 1985.

Her last coaching position at home was from 1995 to 1998 when she led the Chinese women's national team to an Olympic silver medal in Atlanta and second place at the World Championships in Japan.

Lang also worked with the US women's team from 2005-08 and helped the team win the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.