Can China reach Paris Olympics in rugby sevens? Handling expectation key in last qualifier
- Women’s sevens team face ‘enormous pressure’ to deliver, but take a 21-match winning streak into Monaco qualifying tournament
China’s rugby sevens coaches are confident their women’s team can live up to expectations back home and reach the Paris Olympics via the final qualifying tournament in Monaco, which starts on Friday.
And they have a former Hong Kong international helping their cause, in technical coach and video analyst Fan Shun-kei, who is under no illusion about the aspirations held by Chinese officials.
Changes have been made since China fell short in their first attempt to qualify, in the Asian qualifier last November, and China have gone on to win the second-tier Challenger Series and qualify for the elite global circuit. Paris, though, is a major target for the government agency responsible for sport.
“This is massive for the entire team, because the women’s side are under enormous pressure [to get results],” Fan said. “The General Administration of Sport of China naturally holds higher expectations for us because we qualified for the Tokyo Games and won at the Asian Games last year.
“On top of that, team sports in China have not been too successful, so they would want to have one team excel on the world stage.”
Fan was optimistic that the players could deliver, even if only the winners of the 12-team event at Stade Louis II will earn tickets to the French capital.
