China women are now on the road around Europe after hosting five FIH Pro League matches at the Wujin Stadium in Changzhou.
Over the course of their FIH Pro League campaign so far, China, who are ranked 10th in the FIH World Rankings, have won just two matches – against higher ranked Germany (World Ranking:5) and New Zealand (WR:6) – and drawn with Great Britain. But despite losing seven of their 10 matches, the team is gaining admiration for its new style of more attack-minded tactics. Where China used to be renowned for a solid defence and an over-reliance on quick breaks, now they are a team that pours forwards with confidence. China’s 4-3 loss to Australia in their opening match of the Pro League was a warning to the other teams that China was taking a new route under head coach Huang Yongsheng.
Cui Qiuxia is China’s captain and, with nearly 150 caps to her name, is one of the team’s most experienced and influential performers. Whether it is defending with every ounce of her being or forging a path forward to initiate a counter attack, Qiuxia is at the heart of this progressive China team.
For Cui and the rest of her squad, the recent run of matches in front of home fans has been a tremendous experience: “It is such an amazing feeling when you see so many fans come to the venue, watching our games on-site, and supporting us,” says Cui, adding, “I deeply appreciate the fan’s presence and support.”
As the team now embarks on a trip around Europe and then a match in the USA, she is hopeful that Chinese fans will continue to turn out in their numbers to cheer the team on. “If we see our fans supporting us in the away-game venue, that would be fantastic.”
So far, Cui’s favourite game of the new competition was China’s thrilling 5-3 win over New Zealand. She was named Player of the Match – an honour she had also been awarded in the previous match against Germany – after she had led from the front in a match that both teams were desperate to win.
“In the New Zealand game, we did a very good job in defence. We showed that we had made a lot of progress in that area actually. And while we made some errors in the game, we dug deep and got a very good result.”
For Cui herself, the Pro League has been a personal triumph and allowed her to expand her game. She loves the regular matches against tough opposition, feeling that these challenges push her to play better and better. “I feel that I have gained more confidence by playing in the Pro League,” she says. “As a team, I think our key improvement have come in the defence, although we still need to work a lot on that. And of course, there are also lots of things that can be improved when it comes to scoring, we need to learn how to capture and make the most of a goal scoring opportunity.”
