Xiang Qian, deputy director of the beach volleyball department of the Volleyball Management Center of the State General Administration of Sports, shared his views on player combinations, during an exclusive interview on April 22 at the 2014 Fuzhou Open.

“We make new combinations and try to figure out the best match for these volleyball players,” Xiang said. “The new national beach volleyball teams were set up shortly after the 2013 All China Games, with four pairs of men and five pairs of women.”

“It’s not the final combination, we may make some changes if necessary,” he said.

He said the most important mission for the national beach volleyball teams is the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. “The final combination of these players will be decided before the qualifying competition of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.”

Referring to the winner of the 2013 Beach Volleyball World Championship in Poland, Xiang said, “Xue Chen is a good front row player, while her new partner Xia Xinyi has potential as a back row player. Hopefully, they can make a good combination and have good results in the future.”

“But Xia still needs to work hard to be a good match for Xue, since she is still young and lack experience,” Xiang said.

Xiang added that Xue Chen and other members of the women’s beach volleyball team were training in the US in March, which he believes will help improve their skills.

By Lu Ting from China Daily Fujian Bureau.