Korean coaches bring a magic touch

Chinese women's field hockey coach Kim Chang-back from South Korea is hoping to lead the team to a medal at the Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo credit: China Daily/Zou Zhongpin)Photo Gallery>>China has combed the globe in search of talented coaches who can assist in the country's scramble to finish atop the medal table at the Beijing Olympics.

And of the dozens of foreign coaches China has invited to help its athletes prepare for the Games, South Koreans have made the most significant impact.

These South Korean coaches are quite popular in China and have been widely praised because of the immediate improvements they have afforded Chinese athletes.

Kim Chang-back, a field hockey coaching guru, is one good example. Not much was said about him when he took the helm of China's women's field hockey team in 1999.

But the nation quickly took notice of Kim after he coached the team to qualify for its first-ever Olympic appearance just a few months after he took over the job. The team finished fifth in its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games, quite a surprising result considering the sport's limited popularity in China.

His magic touch continued as China defeated Argentina in a penalty shootout in the title game of the 2002 Champions Trophy, its most significant championship to date.

The squad went on to beat four-time defending champion South Korea in a 2-1 victory at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, China's first-ever Asian title.

This sudden success made China a medal favorite for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Unfortunately, the team ran into a scrappy German side, which spoiled China's medal dreams with a tough semifinal upset.

Although the fourth-place finish was China's best-ever Olympic result, it was a huge disappointment for Kim, who was looking for that elusive Olympic gold to complete his championship trophy cabinet.

He seriously considered quitting his job with China. But the strong support from the Chinese federation and a burning desire to coach China to success at home in 2008 made him change his mind and he stayed on.

After a short setback in 2006, when China finished an embarrassing 10th place in the World Cup, Kim got the squad back on track.

In the recently concluded 2008 Champions Trophy, China finished fourth behind Argentina, Germany and the Netherlands, ranked world No 2, No 3 and No 1, respectively.

Boasting a team of talented youngsters and experienced veterans, world No 5 China will once again come into the Olympics as a medal favorite. Kim believes it will be his best opportunity to claim an Olympic gold medal.

"I think the ultimate goal for every coach is to win the Olympic gold," Kim said earlier this month. "We are preparing for that moment carefully and it becomes more and more accessible with the support of the Chinese people."

Inspired by success

Kim's success has inspired more of his compatriots to try their luck in China. Kim Sang-ryul, another field hockey coaching wizard, followed in Chang-back's footsteps and has reignited his career with China's men's side.

Sang-ryul was considered a possible replacement for Chang-back when the latter was considering resignation. Sang-ryul was instead appointed to the head of China's relatively weak men's side, where he hopes to at least put on a decent show for the home fans.

But Sang-ryul has already been quite impressive in his post, coaching his team to a surprising silver medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games while defeating several high-profile Asian rivals such as eight-time Olympic gold medalist India and three-time gold winner Pakistan.

World No 17 China's Olympic prospects became even better after it upset high-ranked teams such as Malaysia and South Korea at recent invitational tournaments.

"I believe China can become as successful as the Koreans," said Sang-ryul, who led his home team to a historic silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Outside of field hockey, South Korean coaches have also brought their world and Olympic gold-medal tactics to China's men's and women's handball.

Last year, Kang Jae-won came to China as the fourth consecutive South Korean coach for the nation's women's handball team. Before him, South Koreans Wui Yeong-man, Chung Hyung-kyun and Kim Gap-soo also tried their luck with the squad, which had won a bronze medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Chung was the most successful one of the bunch, leading China to a win over Olympic and world champion South Korea in the 2003 Asian Championships final.

South Korean coaches have excelled in other events as well. Wui coached the Chinese men's team, helping it qualify for the 1997 World Championships. And archery coach Yang Chang-hoon helped China win a historic recurve women's team event title at the 41st World Outdoor Target Archery Championships.

The training methods and management styles favored by some foreign coaches was admittedly a challenge to China's traditional concepts. But South Korean coaches' combination of scientific and tough trainings have proved effective, and have produced excellent results.

"It's hard to explain why South Korean coaches are so successful," said Kang. "As for me, every time when I take over a team, I just try to put my heart in there."