SPORTS> Newsmaker
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SPORTS> Newsmaker
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Bring me the head of Kim Chang-back
By Yu Yilei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-10 13:58 Par for the course While Kim's departure will sadden fans who still revel in the team's silver medal-winning performance in Beijing, it chimes with patriotic stirrings that China should now develop and rely on its own world-class coaches. Most of the other foreigh coaches have already completed their contracts or been otherwise removed, including Japan's Masayo Imusa, who led China to an historic team bronze in synchronized swimming at the Beijing Games. Former Major League Baseball all-star Jim Lefebvre and Australian Tom Maher, the hero who masterminded China's women basketballers' race to fourth place at the Olympics, have also confirmed their departures. "The original intention behind hiring foreign coaches was to learn from them, not to totally depend on them," explained Lei, who was also in charge of the men's Olympic hockey and baseball teams, both of which hired foreign coaches. "It is normal for us to decide not to extend contracts like these," he added. Team shellshocked Kim's players, many of whom only learned of the decision at Monday's press briefing, were not as convinced. "I just cannot believe it," said forward Fu Baorong, one of Kim's favored players. "I think the whole team will handle this badly. I don't know how exactly they will react when they learn about this tonight. "We don't want to let him go. We will cherish him forever," added Fu. Team captain Ma Yibo said the team had become a tight-knit family. "It's quite a surprise knowing he will leave. The whole team is a big family - he is the father and we are all his daughters." Chinese fans also petitioned the sports ministry online to rethink their decision. About 89 percent of 22,000 respondents to a poll on portal website Sina.com said they were disappointed with the decision and thought Kim should stay. Zeros to heros During his nine-year tenure in charge of the team, Kim completed a Cinderella story by putting it firmly on the world map. After steering China's women to the 2002 Champions Trophy and two successive Asiad titles (Busan 2002 to Doha 2006), he took them to their first Olympics at Sydney 2000 where the team produced a surprise fifth-place finish. It improved on this to earn an historic silver medal in Beijing four months ago and is now ranked world No 4 behind the Netherlands, Argentina and Germany. Most importantly, Kim turned the unpopular sport into a big winner in China. In light of his achievements, the once-isolated team has become a hot commercial property while Kim won China's Friendship Award in 2003, the most prestigious award presented to model foreigners working in the country. "He will be a friend of the Chinese people for all time," Lei said. Despite his shining resume, Kim said he was saddened by the absence of one major title from his cabinet. "My only regret is that I did not send my hard-working players to the top of the Olympic podium," he said. He has no immediate plans to coach another national team but admits there have been offers. "Emotionally I cannot accept an offer from another team so quickly. I will return to coaching after one year," he said, adding that he will first attend a course conducted by the International Hockey Federation on becoming a coaching lecturer.
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