China meets South Korea in world volleyball GP

China meets South Korea in world volleyball GP

JAKARTA (JP): Asian powerhouses China and South Korea will
play their first match at Istora Senayan this evening, the
inaugural match of the second leg of this year's US$2 million
Women's World Volleyball Grand Prix.

The second match, pitting world champion Cuba against Russia,
is scheduled two hours later. The fixtures were made according to
the recent ranking list, Sutardiono, who heads the organizing
committee, announced yesterday.

"It's going to be a very strong competition," Cuba's head
coach Eugenio George said of the three-day tournament.

Though Cuba is favored to win, George said that anything could
happen. In the last Olympic Games in Barcelona, Cuba came first,
Russia second, the United States third, Brazil fourth and China
seventh. But in last year's Grand Prix Cuba came second behind
Brazil.

However, George believes that the Grand Prix provides far
tougher competition than the Olympic Games. "The Grand Prix is
held every year, Olympic Games every four years. So the level of
competition is higher because you're supposed to be well prepared
around the year for that event," he said.

This was also confirmed by Tatsuro Uzuki, president of the
World Volleyball Grand Prix. "The eight top teams at the Grand
Prix are also the best eight at the world volleyball
championships. This shows that the Grand Prix's level of
competition is by no means lower than the world championships,"
Uzuki said.

Like George, other head coaches dared not make preclusive
statements yesterday. Russian head coach Nikolai Karpov said
Cuba, Brazil, China and South Korea might dominate the Grand
Prix's final round. But he said "I don't know" when asked about
the chances of his team.

South Korean head coach Kim Cheol-yong said his team would do
the best it could to win. China's head coach Lang Ping reiterated
"we just try to play our best" while stressing that her team
consists of many young players.

The other second leg, starting in Taipei also today, will
feature the other four of the world's best eight: Brazil, winner
of last year's Grand Prix, the United States, Germany and Japan
(arf).

Today's fixtures
7 p.m. China vs South Korea
9 p.m. Cuba vs Rusia

Results of the Grand Prix's first leg from Aug. 18 to Aug. 20:

in Honolulu, Hawaii
Cub bt Chn 3-1
Cub bt Jpn 3-0
Cub bt USA 3-2
Chn bt Jpn 3-1
USA bt Chn 3-2
USA bt Jpn 3-1

in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Kor bt Rus 3-1
Kor bt Ger 3-0
Bra bt Kor 3-0
Rus bt Bra 3-2
Rus bt Ger 3-0
Bra bt Ger 3-0