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Yearender: Kim locks sight on 2008
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2004-12-24 10:36
Xinhuanet
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BEIJING, Dec. 24, 2004 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese women’s field hockey team finished an impressive fourth place in the Athens Olympics, but their South Korean coach Kim Chang-Back wasn’t happy. Neither was Chinese sports authorities.
Kim had looked at gold, or at least a medal. China’s Olympic semifinal shoot-out loss to Germany was a heavy blow to the hot-tempered South Korean, who shut himself in the room for days or climbed the Great Wall or the Fragrant Hill alone after he returned to Beijing.
He told the Chinese media it was him to blame for China’s failed attempt at a medal of any color.
"Kim has changed a lot since the Olympics. He listens to advice and his temper is no longer hot," said a field hockey team staff.
The Chinese field hockey administration extended a contract with Kim early this month, ensuring the South Korean to lead the team to the 2008 Olympics.
"Chinese women’s field hockey has grown from a second-class team to a world top team since Kim took the helm. We decided to extend his contract after thorough consideration," said China’s top field hockey official Li Gaochao.
But Li warned Kim needs to change if he wants to keep the job.
"His bad temper and over-rigorous training methods, which had negative effects on Chinese players, need to change," he said.
"But I have to admit he is one of the best coaches in the world," added Li.
Kim had single-handedly sped the Chinese up the echelons of international hockey and they reached the dizzy heights of a Champions Trophy victory in 2002.
Their rapid climb from a scratch team put together for the 1990Asian Games to the Champions Trophy winner meant the expectation was high in Athens -- possibly too high given how they choked in the semi-finals.
"Yes, I will have to change," said Kim. "I always charged forward, forward, never listened to people around me. I even forgot who I was."
Kim said he had considered quitting the Chinese team after the Olympics but his never-say-die attitude pulled him back.
"I want to fight one more Olympics even though I know an Olympics can make me live 10 years less," he said.
The South Korean envisioned a tough road to 2008.
"The years leading to 2008 will be more difficult," Kim said. "In Athens we were looking at a medal. In 2008, we want a shining medal of gold." (By Sportswriter Zhang Rongfeng)
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