Star happy to set example for youngsters the hard way

Star happy to set example for youngsters the hard way

China's Li Na returns while playing against Bojana Jovanonski of Serbia in the Shenzhen Gemdale Open quarterfinals on Thursday in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Li won 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semis, where she will face compatriot Peng Shuai.

The life of a professional tennis player is tough as you never seem completely free to do whatever you like - even in the off-season.

Chinese star Li Na has been active on the pro stage since 1999 and understands the yearly grind and how important it is to stay even-keeled; even during the toughest of times.

"When you are competing at a certain level, people pay equal attention to your off-court life as much as your game," Li said during the Shenzhen Gemdale Open on Wednesday. "That means whatever you do can sometimes affect others, especially the juniors."

"They will get the wrong message if you relax too much. So I know that is something I can't do - even on holidays. I like to put strict demands on myself to let the youngsters know what happens off the court is just as important if you want to be good as a pro."

Alcohol is the first item Li names on her "can't do" list.

Li used to celebrate big wins by sharing a few drinks with friends but she has left that habit behind now.

"I definitely stay away from wine now because I have to do everything to help benefit my profession during the 51-week season."

Her healthy habits have paid off as Li's body remains in prime condition despite her age.

The 30-year-old has been injury free since having surgery on her right knee in 2009 and regularly heads off to Germany in the off-season for specialized fitness training.

"I am lucky that injuries haven't bothered me in recent years. That's because I learnt how to treat my body well, with the help of my team. So, it treats me well in return."

Inspired by Argentine coach Carlos Rodriguez, Li is trying to be more aggressive on the court, coming to the net more than she used to.

That new style worked well on Thursday as she beat No 8 seed Bojana Jovanonski of Serbia, 6-3, 6-3, in 86 minutes to make the semis of the international tournament.

"Most of my main opponents have become familiar with my game, so I'd like to change it a little bit. Hopefully, it will make a difference this season," Li said.

Although the current tournament is being held in the remote Longgang district, far from downtown Shenzhen, her presence has still drawn a huge number of supporters that pack the 4,000-seat center court each day.

After her second-round victory over US player Julia Cohen, Rodriguez and her husband, Jiang Shan, were even swamped by fans who wanted to catch a glimpse of their hero.

Jiang had to climb over railings to escape the throng and took a tumble.

"He had no idea how to get out so he decided to jump over the barrier. Maybe next time he will know how to complete a better landing," Li joked after perusing her husband's fall pictures online.

Thursday was a good day for China as another local star, Peng Shuai, overcame a first-set scare to eliminate Germany's Annika Beck, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. She will meet Li in Friday's semis.



Li Na's coach Carlos Rodriguez watches as Li plays against Bojana Jovanonski of Serbia in the Shenzhen Gemdale Open quarterfinals in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Jan 3, 2013.



Li Na returns a shot while playing against Bojana Jovanonski of Serbia in the Shenzhen Gemdale Open quarterfinals in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Jan 3, 2013.

(China Daily)

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Riders hit the track in Biketrail competition

Riders hit the track in Biketrail competition

A man on his bike demonstrates his skills during the BikeTrial competition, as he attempts to ride through the obstacle course without his feet touching the ground.



A man on his bike demonstrates his skills during the BikeTrial competition, as he attempts to ride through the obstacle course without his feet touching the ground.



A man on his bike demonstrates his skills during the BikeTrial competition, as he attempts to ride through the obstacle course without his feet touching the ground.



A man on his bike demonstrates his skills during the BikeTrial competition, as he attempts to ride through the obstacle course without his feet touching the ground.


( china daily)

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Zou Shiming repeats Beijing success

Zou Shiming repeats Beijing success

LONDON - Zou Shiming won his second successive Olympic gold medal on Saturday, beating Thailand's Kaeo Pongprayoon in a battle of two of the oldest fighters at the London Games to cap his total dominance of the light-flyweight division.

Zou, who won China's first Olympic boxing medal, a bronze, eight years ago and its first gold in front of home fans at the Beijing Games, added a second Olympic win to a career haul that also includes three world amateur championships.



Zou Shiming (L) fights Thailand's Kaeo Pongprayoon during their Men's Light Fly (49kg) gold medal boxing match at the London Olympics August 11, 2012.

The canny 31-year-old, who survived a couple of scares to reach the final, grinned all the way to the ring and was probably still smiling inside when he was slightly fortunate to be narrowly ahead after the first round.

Pongprayoon, at 32 the oldest among the men's 20 finalists, was cheered on by the majority of the crowd, including a noisy section of Thai fans, but their encouragement turned to boos after the second round when he was again unlucky to lose by a single point.

Pongprayoon continued to be a nuisance against his taller opponent in the final round, catching Zou with a big left but the now double Olympic champion, who was warned for holding, hung on to win 13-10.

Pongprayoon, who also received a warning in the final seconds of the bout, fell to the ground in tears and beat the canvass in frustration as a flag-waving Zou was booed.

Pongprayoon's cornerman even raised his fighter's hand in defiance to the delight of the crowd.

Losing semi-finalists Ireland's Paddy Barnes and David Ayrapetyan of Russia took bronze.



Zou Shiming of China poses with his gold medal during the presentation ceremony for the Men's Light Fly (49kg) boxing competition at the London Olympics August 11, 2012.

( Agencies)

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Mud Soccer Cup in Beijing

Mud Soccer Cup in Beijing

Players compete on Friday in the Chinese leg of the British Mud Soccer Cup in Beijing's Olympic Park. The event attracted 32 teams.













(China Daily)

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China's Liu back at his best in bid for redemption

China's Liu back at his best in bid for redemption

In 12.87 seconds on an Oregon track, China's Liu Xiang banished five years of injury-filled misery and annointed himself favorite to reclaim the Olympic gold he relinquished so painfully in Beijing four years ago.

A tailwind slightly over the allowed strength last weekend denied him a share of the world record held by Cuba's Dayron Robles, but there was no doubt Liu was very much back in business ahead of the London Games.

China's Liu Xiang celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the men's 110 meters hurdle final ahead of France's Ladji Doucoure at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games in this Aug 27, 2004 file photo.

China's first men's champion on the Olympic track in 2004, Liu also won the world title and held the world record (12.88) in his pre-2008 pomp but for some time it has looked like his Beijing misery might be the enduring image of his career.

It was with a false start at the corresponding Prefontaine Classic meeting in Oregon four years ago that Liu gave the first hint that he might not provide the crowning moment of China's first Olympics.

He failed to compete again until he lined up for Olympic 110 meters hurdles heats at the Bird's Nest on a sunny August morning, when he stunned the host nation by withdrawing, racked with pain from an Achilles injury.

A string of operations and talk of psychological damage followed and there were many, including his long-time coach and mentor Sun Haiping, who believed Liu might never return to the top level of competition.

Despite still running with pain, an encouraging 2011 season culminated in his making the final at the world championships, where Beijing Olympic champion Robles was disqualified for hindering him.

Liu took home a silver medal and, mercifully free from further injury problems, embarked on preparations for his third Olympics by perfecting his reduced run to the first hurdle in seven rather than eight steps.

Although the dark years saw his star wane in the international arena, a lack of other Chinese track athletes coming through meant Liu remained one of his country's biggest celebrities.

Liu Xiang of China celebrates setting a world record in the men's 110-meter race at the IAAF Super Grand Prix athletics meeting in Lausanne, in this July 11, 2006 file photo.

His gold medal at the Athens Games had brought him fame and fortune in China rivalled only by basketball player Yao Ming but also made his life more like that of a rock star and placed a huge burden of expectation on him.

Even in a culture where self deprecation is expected, Liu has become a particular expert in playing down that expectation with his infrequent public utterances.

"I think my start was good," he said in Oregon after matching Robles's legal record. "But I think I made some mistakes from the third to the sixth hurdles."

Fattened up

Liu was born in Shanghai on July 13, 1983 to Liu Xuegen and Ji Fenhua, who prophetically named him Xiang, which means 'fly'.

With his parents both working, Liu was brought up largely by his grandmother who fattened up the skinny child with braised pork in brown sauce.

World record holder China's Liu Xiang holds his gold medal during the award ceremony for the men's 110m hurdles final during the 15th Asian Games in Doha in this Dec 12, 2006 file photo.

Under a project where youngsters had their bones measured and were allocated sports depending on their anticipated growth, Liu was chosen at the age of seven as a future high jumper.

When later tests predicted he would not grow tall enough, his career might have been over had Sun not turned up and persuaded his parents to let the teenager train in the high hurdles.

With Sun guiding him, Liu became an outstanding technician, helping make up for a lack of raw sprinting power typified by the best American hurdlers.

He illustrated that technique again with a flawless run in 12.97 seconds on a rainy night in his hometown of Shanghai last month - his fastest since he won the world title in 2007 - before his blistering run in Oregon.

Despite his recent form, coach Sun, who was reduced to tears by Liu's withdrawal at the Bird's Nest four years ago, warned recently that his charge's injuries were still a factor.

"Liu Xiang, he is the Liu Xiang he is now, not the one of several years ago," he told reporters before the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai.

"As he ages, his physical strength goes down, and his muscles recover more slowly from fatigue. Plus he has old injuries.

"Our training continues safely and steadily. The tricky thing is high quality training, which is necessary for good results, is also highly risky.

"Conversely, playing safe causes no trouble but also gives you poorer results. For me, our overall training errs on the side of safety still."

If Sun's comments were meant to dampen Chinese expectations in the run-up to the Olympics, the Oregon performance almost certainly means that would be a fruitless task.

Liu Xiang (C) of China leads David Oliver (L) and Jason Richardson of the United States over the last hurdle in the men's 110m hurdles at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League track meet in Eugene, Oregon, June 2, 2012.

( Agencies)

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Bloody sport

Bloody sport

Afei, a semi-pro boxer, won his match at a nightclub in Chongqing, April 29, 2012.

Afei, 22, is from Luzhou, Sichuan province, and has been a lover of martial arts since childhood. After training, he began taking part in some commercial matches. He faces the occasional bloody result, but he remains silent on his compensation.

The crowd cheers for the effort made by the boxers, sometimes even the bloodbecomes a source of excitement. Three rallies in each round, and 200 yuan rewarded to both boxers, no matter who wins. Afei says the ultimate winner is the boss, as a large profit is made through the sale of drinks. Besides, boxing is only one of the many lucrative methods used by those clubs.



Afei, 22, is from Luzhou, Sichuan province, and has been a fan of martial arts since childhood.



One supporter cheers for Afei shortly before the match.



Afei prays on his knees before the match.



Afei, in cloak, waits to get into the ring.



As in the Chinese expression, the fists and feet fly laterally, while the crowd watches on with excitement.



Afei waits for the result after the match.



Afei hits a tire hard during training.



Afei sings a hit song by Jay Chou, Nunchaku.

(china daily)

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Ex-soccer chief Nan Yong charged with taking bribes

Ex-soccer chief Nan Yong charged with taking bribes

Nan Yong is taken to the court by police on Wednesday.[Photo/CFP]

Nan Yong, the former director of the Chinese Football Administrative Center, went on trial Wednesday in a court in the northeastern Chinese city of Tieling, a day after court proceedings opened against his predecessor Xie Yalong on similar charges.

The 50-year-old Nan, named as a vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association at the age of 35, was instrumental in China's only appearance in the World Cup finals as he hired Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic despite voices of opposition and oversaw the qualifying campaign as the team's chef de mission.

Nan was arrested in 2010 with his associates Yang Yimin and Zhang Jianqiang, who had been sentenced in February's bribery trials to 10 1/2 years and 12 years in prison respectively.

In Dandong, Li Dongsheng, the former head of the CFA's referees committee, faced charges of bribery and embezzlement.

Qi Hong and Jiang Jin, the key players in China's successful run to the 2002 World Cup finals, were on trial with Shen Si and Li Ming.

The four former Chinese national team members were accused of taking bribes to fix a 2003 Chinese league game, in which their team, Shanghai Guoji, lost 2-1 to Tianjin Teda.

The result sent their crosstown rival Shanghai Shenhua to the league title and prevented Tianjin from being relegated.

Sources said that the four players received bribes totaling 8 million yuan ($1.27 million).

Nan and Xie Yalong are the highest ranking officials caught in China's ever-widening crackdown on soccer corruption, which has brought down dozens of high-ranking soccer officials, referees and players.

Tuesday's trial against Xie lasted nearly 11 hours and was eventful as his defence team moved to have all his confessions abandoned since they were obtained "illegally".

Xie, charged with taking over 1.7 million yuan ($273,000) in bribes, told the court that he had confessed to some of the alleged charges since someone had "forced him" during earlier interrogations.

Xie's lawyer Jin Xiaoguang told People's Daily official website that his defendant feared for his life during the interrogations and confessed to crimes he did not commit "because he wanted to stay alive."

Factfile of Nan Yong:

Born: June 16, 1962

Graduated from Shenyang Physical Education Institute

Career:

1984 - Human Resources Department of State Physical Culture and Sports Commission

1997 - Vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association

2001 - Chef de mission of the Chinese team which qualified for the 2002 World Cup finals

2005 - Party secretary and deputy director of the Chinese Football Administrative Center, head of the Chinese Super League

2009 - Director of the Chinese Football Administrative Center, vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association

(Xinhua)

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Guangzhou Evergrande stuns Japanese Kashiwa Reysol

Guangzhou Evergrande stuns Japanese Kashiwa Reysol

GUANGZHOU - With Conca's penalty and Muriqui's brace, Guangzhou Evergrande clinched a stunning 3-1 victory over Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol to top Group H on Tuesday, maintaining the only hope for Chinese clubs to qualify for the knock-out round in AFC Champions League.

Muriqui celebrates his goal during the match against Japanese Kashiwa Reysol in AFC Champions League Group H, April 17, 2012.

"I'm proud of our players, who devoted themselves to the match. When the game becomes big, it is always a tough situation, but they did it," Guangzhou's South Korean coach Lee Jang Soo said after the match.

Before Tuesday's games, Guangzhou and Kashiwa each gathered four points from three games following a goalless draw in Japan two weeks ago.

At the same time, early leaders Buriram United were two points clear ahead of their trip to South Korea to face a resurgent Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, who were just a point adrift at the foot of the table.

Guangzhou had heard about even more stressful news that Jeonbuk had beaten Buriram, which made both sides six points.

But Guangzhou were able to grasp their fate in their hands. After Muriqui was tackled by Kashiwa defender Watanabe in the 27th minute, Conca scored an easy penalty to gift the home side 1-0 lead.

The second half saw an early equalizer by Hiroki Sakai who stood out in the scramble inside the box in the 50th minute, before Brazilian Muriqui helped Guangzhou retake the lead with a glancing header.

"Muriqui's goal was the key, as we quickly regained our advantage. We relaxed a little and dominated the match," Lee said.

Kashiwa had moments that worried the home side as they frequently crossed the ball into the center.

However, it was time for the Brazilian forward to stand out again. Muriqui scored a perfectly angled shot after another Brazilian Cleo sent a through pass into the box.

"We were only 70 percent of ourselves. We played well in the first half, but the two mistakes we made in the second half spoiled the game," said Kashiwa coach Nelsinho, who stormed out of the press conference room.

Early this evening, another Chinese team Beijing Guoan suffered a 3-0 loss to Tokyo FC.

Guangzhou coach Lee said his club's win salvaged the name of Chinese soccer.

"When we heard Beijing were two goals down in Tokyo, we understood that we would have to shoulder the responsibility. Just as club owner Xu Jiayin said, we fight not only for ourselves, but also for the name of Chinese clubs."

(Xinhua)

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Ducks not happy after massive fine

Ducks not happy after massive fine

Stephon Marbury of the Beijing Ducks slides under a challenge from Guangdong Southern Tigers' Zhou Peng during Game 2 of the CBA Finals on Friday night in Dongguan, Guangdong province. The Ducks won 109-106 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Beijing was 10 points behind coming into the fourth quarter but staged a thrilling 32-19 run to seal a fine comeback victory. Randolph Morris led Beijing with 33 points and Marbury had 23 points and nine assists.

Throwing a beverage cup harms the league's image more than attacking a bus with bricks.

At least the CBA thinks so as it fined the Beijing Ducks 110,000 yuan ($17,406) on Friday for its home crowd's uncivilized behavior during their opening finals game against the Guangdong Southern Tigers at the MasterCard Center (formerly Wukesong Arena) on Wednesday.

The fine almost doubled the amount the Shanxi Brave Dragons copped last Tuesday for their fans' unruly behavior, which included throwing litter onto the court in the semi series against Beijing and trapping the guest team's bus after a home game.

The Ducks have accepted the penalty, but don't believe they should take all responsibility for what the fans did.

"I don't think the fine on us will work things out. It was indeed a shame to see it (crowd trouble) happen again," the Ducks' manager, Yuan Chao, said. "We can't control the fans (during the game) but the security staff in the stadium should. We are just a team competing here and we were not involved in the security job."

Moving to the MasterCard Center, the Ducks relinquished charge of security measures, which it handles at its own Shougang Stadium.

During the foul-plagued game, the Ducks' home fans kept abusing Guangdong's players and threw garbage onto the court in the third period to protest Guangdong forward Zhou Peng's flagrant foul on Stephon Marbury.

After the game, some Beijing diehards gathered around the tunnel to provoke Guangdong's players. One of them threw a drink into young guard Shi Hongfei's face.

The CBA also criticized Zhou for his reckless foul against Marbury, stressing it intensified the fans' hostility and triggered the chaos.

Meanwhile, Guangdong's head coach, Li Chunjiang, was also warned for his inability to discipline his players.

This is the second time Beijing has been fined for rowdy fan behavior and the third for throwing objects onto the court.

By implementing the toughest penalty of the season, the league hopes it will act a deterrent for the rest of the finals.

"It harms the CBA's appeal badly. We hope the clubs and media can educate the fans better and provide more positive guidance," said Bai Xiling, director of the CBA's competition department.

(China Daily)

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Boxing their way to Olympic gold

Boxing their way to Olympic gold

Two female boxers compete during training in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The two are preparing for the London Olympic Games in July this year. File photo Nov 4, 2012.

A female boxer shows her injured hands from training in Ningbo, Zhejiang province , Nov 4, 2012.

A boxer relaxes at the gym after training in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, Nov 4, 2012.

A female boxer cools her injured face from training in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, Nov 4, 2012.

(CFP)

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China advances into men's team final in Magdeburg

China advances into men's team final in Magdeburg

Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany returns the ball to Wang Hao of China during the men's team semi-final match in Magdeburg, Germany, Nov. 5, 2011. Ovtcharov won 3-1. China won 3-1 and entered the final.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany returns the ball to Wang Hao of China during the men's team semi-final match in Magdeburg, Germany, Nov. 5, 2011. Ovtcharov won 3-1. China won 3-1 and entered the final.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany (Back) returns the ball to Wang Hao of China during the men's team semi-final match in Magdeburg, Germany, Nov. 5, 2011. Ovtcharov won 3-1. China won 3-1 and entered the final.

Bastian Steger (R)/Patrick Baum of Germany compete with Ma Long/Wang Hao of China during the men's team semi-final match in Magdeburg, Germany, Nov. 5, 2011. China won 3-1 and entered the final.



Dimitrij Ovtcharov of Germany celebrates after winning a match of the men's team semi-final against Wang Hao of China in Magdeburg, Germany, Nov. 5, 2011. Ovtcharov won 3-1. China won 3-1 and entered the final.

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China wins men's team title in gymnastics worlds

China wins men's team title in gymnastics worlds

China's team members show their gold medals on a podium during an awarding ceremony at the men's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo Oct 12, 2011.

China's team members celebrate their win on a podium during an awarding ceremony at the men's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo Oct 12, 2011.

Players of China celebrate victory after the men's team final at the 43rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Oct 12, 2011. Team China won the title of the men's team event with 275.161 points.

China's team member celebrates to win the men's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo Oct 12, 2011.

China's Yang Mingyong (L) celebrates with his teammates Chen Yibing after performing the pommel horse during the men's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo Oct 12, 2011.

China's Teng Haibin competes on the rings during the men's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo Oct 12, 2011.

China's Feng Zhe competes on the parallel bars during the men's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo Oct 12, 2011

China's Yan Mingyong competes on the pommel horse during the men's team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo Oct 12, 2011.

(china daily)

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Home 'advantage' matters

Home 'advantage' matters

Peng Shuai of China returns a shot against Flavia Pennetta of Italy during their first-round singles match at the China Open at the National Tennis Center in Beijing on Monday. Pennetta won 7-6 (6), 7-5.

Zheng Jie is the only Chinese player to reach the second round of Open

BEIJING - Playing at home is not always an advantage as it can often result in more pressure and distractions.

After China's top player Li Na was knocked out on Sunday due to, in her words, a lack of confidence and increasing pressure from outside, China's world No 15, Peng Shuai, also suffered a first-round exit at the China Open on Monday, leaving Zheng Jie as the only Chinese player to reach the second round.

After bouncing back from being a set down to oust Italian Brianti Alberta 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, Zheng put her victory down to her mental strength and support from the home audience. Meanwhile, Peng was eliminated by Flavia Pennetta of Italy 7-6 (6), 7-5.

"Chinese players have to take up more pressure on their home courts, because there are more expectations now," said 28-year-old Zheng. "Also, I am not satisfied with my performance today. It's always hard to play the first game, and I was nervous.

"When I was behind 0-4 in the third set, I thought victory was slipping away, but I told myself not to give up," she said. "To play professional tennis with my physical attributes, I must have something others don't have, which is the determination to hold on until the last minute, and play with a full effort no matter what the circumstances."

Home 'advantage' matters

Zheng said the encouragement of the fans also gave her a lot of confidence, though she blew one match point after hearing a fan shout the ball was out.

"I heard someone shout 'out' at match point, and the umpire said it was not her, but someone in the audience," she said. "The fervent cheers from the audience provide motivation, but they also can increase the pressure.

"Of course, players want to have a quiet environment to play, that's the best, but we can't control the audience, what we can do is adjust our mindsets," said Zheng. "From another perspective, the fans are supporting me. If we try to look at it like that when on court we can put ourselves at ease."

Zheng also revealed she may partner Peng in the women's doubles at the London Olympics.

"I hope we have the chance to play together, but we have to check with our teams," Zheng said. "Peng played well in singles this year, and I also want to lift my single's ranking fast; therefore we need to find out how can we practice doubles together while not affecting our singles form.

"I think we have an 80 percent chance of playing at the Olympics together," she said.

In another match on Monday, world No1 Caroline Wozniacki ousted Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.

(China Daily)

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The underdog will have its day

The underdog will have its day

China's Ding Jinhui (L) tries to work his way free of South Korea's Moon Tae-jong during China's semifinal victory on Saturday night. China defeated South Korea 56-43 and advanced into the final on Sunday. The host will play Jordan.

Players of Jordan celebrate with their national flag after their semifinal victory over the Philippines at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011. Jordan won the match by 75-61.

WUHAN, Hubei - The individual members of Jordan's basketball team are pretty average.

The underdog will have its day

China's Sun Yue (L) goes for a basket against a South Korean player during China's semifinal victory at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011. [Photo by Cui Meng/chinadaily.com.cn]

As a team, though? Maybe the best in Asia.

Jordan defeated the Philippines, 75-61, on Saturday at the 26th FIBA Asia Championship, proving its quarterfinal victory over two-time defending champion Iran was no fluke.

"Our key for advancing to the final was to put aside our personal goals. As a team we are dangerous, as a group of individuals, we are not," said Jordan head coach Thomas Baldwin.

"It feels very much like a dream coming true. But it is real. We really do want to win the final, and we are really not satisfied with where we are. I want it (the title) so much."

After struggling to establish any tempo in the first half, Jordan regained its defensive intensity and offensive discipline in the third quarter to upset the Filipinos and move within one win of its first Olympic appearance.

Jordan sharp shooter Rasheim Wright and swingman Zaid Abbas scored a combined 38 points to lead the offense, while Islam Abbaas' defense held Marcus Douthit, the tournament's top scorer, to nine points in the first half.

Playmaker Osama Daghles knocked down two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to seal the game.

Facing China, which thrashed Jordan by 33 points in the group stage, in the final, Wright said he is keen to exact revenge from the host.

The underdog will have its day

"For tomorrow, of course, we want revenge. Last time we faced China, I played terrible. I want to beat them tomorrow and play (better)," said the American-Jordanian guard.

Daghles echoed Wright's sentiment, banking on the team's "underdog advantage" to stun the tournament favorite.

"They (China) have much more pressure than us - they're playing at home," he said. "They can't lose like two years ago in Tianjin again. We are excited, motivated and free minded. We have no pressure. That's our advantage," Daghles said.

After an up-and-down struggle during the pool stage, Jordan turned out be a tough-minded, team-oriented squad.

Infused with a big boost of confidence after consecutive crossover victories, the team is making its first final appearance.

"We are already a different team in a short period. We have more confidence and toughness. No matter which team stands in front of us tomorrow, we are gonna hit it hard," Baldwin said.

China's Sun Yue (L) goes for a basket against a South Korean player during China's semifinal victory at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011.

Chinese players celebrate their victory over South Korea during their semifinal games at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011.

China's Yi Jianlian (L) tries to work his way free of a South Korean player during China's semifinal victory at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011.

China's Yi Li (L) goes for a basket against a South Korean player during China's semifinal victory at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011.

China's Wang Zhizhi (R) gestures during China's semifinal victory over South Korea at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011.

China's head coach Robert Donewald Jr reacts during China's semifinal victory over South Korea at the 2011 FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, Sept 24, 2011.

(China Daily)

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