OLYMPICS /
Team China
Women's handball wins last warm-up for Games
Xinhua
Updated: 2008-08-05 23:10
BEIJING--Chinese women's handball team defeated Hungary 28-26 in their last warm-up match before the Beijing Olympics.
The game was played in the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, the venue for Olympic handball preliminaries and quarterfinals.
China led 14-12 before the break and managed to keep their lead till the buzzer. Pivot Liu Yun and Right Winger Wei Qiuxiang topped the scorers' list with six goals each.
Kang Jae Won, coach of the Chinese, said after the match, "Although it was just a warm-up match, I am not satisfied with the team. Luckly, it was only a test for us, we still have time to improve."
Chinese team leader Meng Wei said,"Hungary is a world top class team. In today's game they just fielded part of their first choice line-up. So the victory doesn't mean anything. However, the experience to combat against European teams is very important for us."
Drafted in Group A for the Olympics, China will face Norway, Romania, France, Angola and Kazakhstan in the preliminary stage. China needs to win at least two games to book a quarterfinal berth.
Hungary, the fifth placer in Athens, will also compete in Beijing Games. And it will play in Group B.
Twelve teams of the women's handball tournament are divided into two groups. Top four of each group will enter the quarterfinal stage.