Source: Sohu Sports  

[Abstract] Lang Ping, the Iron Hammer, returned to China to serve as chief coach again eleven years later. This time, she will head the currently unknown Guangdong Evergrande Women’s Volleyball Club and hopes that she can make contributions to China's volleyball cause that is well established and vigorously developed. [Review of Volleyball Career] [Pictures] [Special Reports about Lang Ping] [Comments]

Sohu Sports: In 1998, Lang Ping resigned with tears from the post of chief coach of National Women’s Volleyball Team of China. Eleven years later, Lang Ping, the previous "Iron Hammer", returned again to her motherland. Different from the important mission of enduring great hardship to lift China’s volleyball from the low ebb in 1995, the second return of Lang Ping seems to bear less responsibility but is sufficiently significant – she may become the first person to push forward the change of China’s volleyball into commercial operation.

The market development of the three big balls in China is terribly unbalanced. When basketball and football are developing splendidly, the sport of volleyball is a far cry from them. The operation of volleyball in the market of China has long been unsuccessful, paling in comparison with the glorious achievements the women’s volleyball of China has made in world matches. It cannot compare with that in our neighboring country Japan and we still have a long way to go compared with Brazil. The direct consequence is the gradual doldrums of the volleyball market. The number of registered professional volleyball players is only 400. We have to say that insufficient reserve strength has become an embarrassment for China’s volleyball. >> Do you think Lang Ping’s return will be helpful for China’s volleyball?

This problem can be seen from the few spectators on the spectators stand watching the highest-level professional volleyball league matches held in China every year. To be objective, compared with professional basketball league matches overflowed with spectators, it is difficult to ensure that attendance in Shanghai can reach 40% in the final match for championship between Tianjin Team and Shanghai Team in this year’s women’s volleyball league matches, except for great support from volleyball fans from Tianjin. That’s the picture of top-level competition, not to mention the situation of average teams. As a result, Bayi Team and Beijing Team had to change the home court for several times. Women’s volleyball is in such a situation, so understandably, the men’s volleyball is having a more difficult time.

Guangdong Evergrande Club is the first commercially operated team in China. It is independently operated by the company, an operation mode that sets a purely professional precedent for China's volleyball. In this “new mode”, the club has won strong support from China Volleyball Association, which sees it as a welcome jolt, a bellwether and test field for the volleyball market of China. Lang Ping was elected as chief coach not only because of her personal ability, but also because the China Volleyball Association had ulterior purpose of winning the volleyball market of China through Lang Ping’s charisma.