Legend Xu Yunli sees China delivering in HK showdown
Olympic star predicts ‘fantastic performances’ for leg of women’s Nations League in the city
Olympic gold medallist and China volleyball legend Xu Yunli backs her country’s side to deliver on the court when a leg of the women’s Volleyball Nations League descends on Hong Kong in June.
Xu was speaking at a press conference to launch the event which will be held from June 11 to 16 at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
“As the final international tournament before the Paris Olympics, I believe all teams have made sufficient preparations, so the matches in Hong Kong will definitely be exciting,” Xu said. “I still have vivid memories of the enthusiasm of Hong Kong fans.
“The Chinese women’s volleyball team will deliver fantastic performances amid the cheers and encouragement from the audience, striving for excellent results.”
Xu played as a middle blocker for China before she retired in 2019 at the age of 31 following an injury to her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) two years prior.
She won Olympic bronze in her home games of 2008, winning gold eight years later in Rio de Janeiro, and also boasts two Asian Games gold medals, one Asian Championship gold and two more Asian Cup wins.
Sixteen teams, split into two pools of eight will compete in the Nations League, which is recognised as an “M” Mark event by the Major Sports Events Committee.
The Hong Kong leg of the event is the third and final pool stage of the tournament and will host China, Turkey, Brazil, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Thailand and Bulgaria. The remaining eight teams will play in Fukuoka, Japan.
The tournament is played in five different countries over four weeks. Macau will also host a leg.
The top seven teams at the end, along with hosts Thailand, will progress to the final round in Bangkok on June 20-23.
Twelve male and twelve female teams will compete for Olympic gold this year.
Hosts France qualified automatically and Brazil, Poland, Germany, United States, Japan and Canada have already secured their spots. The remaining five places will be chosen by world rankings, Turkey are currently ranked No 1 in the world.
If an Asian team is not in the top five once the Nations League is over at the end of June, they will still be allocated one space.
China, last year’s Nations League runner-up, are the highest-ranking Asian team.
Local Volleyball Association president Wilfred Ng Sau-kei said the national side could also inspire the city’s young generation.
“We have been hosting this kind of international volleyball [competition] since the mid-70s in Hong Kong … and we have built a really huge support for our China team,” Ng said.
“They really help us promote our local volleyball development because they are idols and a role model for many Hongkongers.”
Commissioner for Sports Sam Wong Tak-sum echoed Ng’s statements on China helping to develop Hong Kong volleyball and said such international sporting events can enhance the city’s image.
“Not only can we further promote sports development, but we can also enhance Hong Kong’s image as an international sports events capital and attract overseas visitors to Hong Kong.”
It will definitely be exciting. I still have vivid memories of the enthusiasm of Hong Kong fans XU YUNLI