(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-10 09:53

BEIJING -- With low popularity, slipping performance in international arenas and poorly built player reservoir, Chinese handball is now trapped in a tricky vicious circle, falling behind powerhouses right from the starting line.

Teams compete in the 2008 Good Luck Beijing Handball tournament at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, which will hold the preliminary rounds of the Olympic Games' handball competition, January 8, 2008.  [Agencies]

As an Olympic rehearsal, the Good Luck Beijing 2008 Handball Tournament which was held from January 5 to 11 failed to attract enough public attention, foregrounding the same problem that the game itself is facing in China.

Since the preliminary of the eight-team tournament commenced last Saturday, the stadium had remained half empty. The after-match conferences also featured with vacant seats and embarrassed question shortage. Lack of public attraction is one of the serious problems for the poorly popularized Chinese handball.

"Chinese handball does not have a solid public basic. Moreover, our training level is far behind European traditional powerhouses, It's difficult for the national teams to make a dent in international events,"said Li Zhiwen, handball competition manager of Beijing Olympic organizing committee.

Chinese handball used to have glory during the 1980s. The men's team claimed title of the Asian Games in 1982 while the female team cruised to the bronze podium in Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

However, huge gap between training level was gradually reflected in the results. From the 1990s, Chinese national teams never managed to regain continental dominance, let alone breakthrough on international level.

As Chinese Handball Association's attempt to professionalize the game failed half way due to scarcity of financial sponsorship in 2004, chances for Chinese handball to rejuvenate became even slim.

Lack of talented young players is another bottleneck for the development of Chinese handball. In most traditionally strong countries players are trained at a very early age. But in China, with strength and height being the priorities, young players are chosen from basketball teams when they almost know nothing about handball. The "second-hand" players have to spend much time on the rules and fundamental skills instead of tactics.

According to Peng Ning, General Secretary of Chinese Handball Association, most of the Chinese handball players are selected from youth basketball teams at the age of about 15.

"When the players retire at around 25 or 26, they only have played handball for ten years. But a good handball player at least needs 15 years to grow mature."