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Players hooked on 'net' says top official

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-31 12:27

What is to blame for the recent poor performances of the national women's volleyball team?

Li Juan and Wang Qian (R) of China fall on the court while reaching for the ball during the team's FIVB World Grand Prix women's volleyball match against Netherlands in Hong Kong August 16, 2009. [Agencies]

"The internet", according Li Quanqiang, vice director of the volleyball department at the General Administration of Sports of China. Li said the national players spent too much time surfing the internet instead of talking to each other off the court. That led to poor communication and team spirit on the court.

"They (the players) spend too much time online after a match or training, are too self-centered and haven't enough direct and close interaction," Li said after the team returned from the World Grand Prix Finals in Japan, where they finished fifth - equaling their worst result. They lost to Brazil, the Netherlands, Russia and Germany and only defeated Japan.

"Some players stay up late in front of the computer and get distracted by the internet," Li said, defining it as "ideological problems of the internet generation".

Related readings:  China loses to Germany in last game at volleyball Grand Prix  China suffers third straight loss at volleyball GP  National volleyball team gets first black player  Cai replaces Chen as volleyball head coach After an Olympic deception, Nalbert returns to beach volleyball

With an average age of 21.9, many of the players on the national team have laptops and are used to enjoying their leisure time online, chatting through MSN or shopping online.

However, some fans disagreed with the official by pointing out that nowadays players all over the world have embraced the internet and it would be ridiculous to attribute the failure to the modern trend.

"Brazilian players also love the internet, so why do they still dominate the court?" a local fan asked, ironically, online.

There were several net-lovers on the China's team which gripped the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the bronze in Beijing last summer. Some all-star players, including Zhao Ruirui and Zhou Suhong, even set up their own blogs.