Coach 'shaped' Chinese women's team: Former global volleyball head

Chinese head coach Lang Ping celebrates after winning the gold medal in women's volleyball after beating Serbia 3:1 in Rio de Janeiro on Aug 20, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wei Jizhong, the honorary life president of Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB), praised the greatness of Lang Ping, head coach of China's women's volleyball team after China beat Serbia to be crowned in the women's volleyball in the 2016 Olympic Games on Saturday.

Wei Jizhong, the honorary life president of Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB), accepts interview after the final game of the women's volleyball in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 20, 2016. [Photo by Sun Xiaochen/chinadaily.com.cn]

The honorary life president spoke highly of the legendary Chinese coach, saying that Lang Ping has "not just trained but shaped the Chinese team".

"The biggest contribution of Lang Ping is to have built up such a great team, and what she does is more than simply mobilizing players, but cultivating them," said Wei Jizhong.

Lang Ping has become the first to win volleyball gold both as a coach and player. Back in 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she and her teammates helped China to snatch their first Olympics gold.

Since then, Chinese women's volleyball team has been set up as a flagship among all Chinese sports teams for their tenacity and fighting spirit.

In the post-match interview in Rio, Lang Ping said: "The spirit of Chinese women's volleyball team is to never give up. My duty as the coach is to guide this young team to carry on this spirit."

In Wei Jizhong's view, the Chinese women's volleyball team spirit "has long existed and spread around all Chinese athletes as a great icon".