China head coach Tang Changdong aiming for Women’s Softball World Cup Finals ticket and Asian Games gold

China has been a women’s softball powerhouse for decades with a 1996 Olympic silver medal and three Women's Softball World Cup podium finishes (two silvers and a bronze) in their locker however, due to a lack of competition and some unfortunate recent results - they didn’t qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - they fell out of the top-10 in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Rankings for the first time ever at the end of 2022.  

This year though, things are looking brighter after a return to the international stage after four years. A second-place finish at the Women’s Softball Asia Cup qualified them for the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage, which, along with the postponed Asian Games, represent two of the biggest and most relevant tournaments for the Asian giant. 

China’s head coach Tang Changdong told China’s official state news agency Xinhua that being back on the field is a great feeling and important for his team's long term success. "Returning to international competition after a long hiatus, we now have a clear understanding of our position - we are a powerhouse in Asia," he said. "We have developed our own style of play and made break throughs in offence."

In July, China will travel to Valencia, Spain, to compete in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group B. They will battle against No. 4 Puerto Rico, No. 10 Netherlands, No. 12 Spain, No. 28 Cuba and No. 38 South Africa. The top two teams of each group will advance to next year’s Finals. 

"Our target is to finish as top two and secure a ticket to the World Cup Finals next year," Tang said, adding that he expected tough matches against Puerto Rico on the opening day and the Netherlands on Day 2.

But to succeed, the 55-year-old openly recognised his team needs to improve in a number of different areas. "Firstly, we need to improve our batting under pressure. Secondly, we did not make wise choices in complicated situations in some matches, and I could see my players were hesitating. Thirdly, our pitchers need to increase their pitching velocity, and finally, we must improve our understanding of games," said Tang.

He also explained that, even if softball requires physical skills, it's more about a mind game. "That's why I hope the players not only work hard physically, but train and play with their heart and brain, so that they could gain deeper understanding about softball games along the process."

Later this year, hosting the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games will be another big challenge for China. "I hope through the Asian Games we can firmly establish ourselves as a powerhouse in Asia. Japan is the Olympic champion, but we are capable of challenging them, and we will give our all for that. We hope to win the gold medal, there's no way back."