Former powerhouse China is aiming to return to its glory days with eyes firmly fixed on a podium finish at the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals, which takes place in Castions di Strada, Italy from July 15-20.
Currently ranked No. 17 in the WBSC/KONAMI Women's Softball World Ranking, China has a 1996 Olympic silver medal and three Women's Softball World Cup podium finishes (two silvers and a bronze) to its name, but fell out of the top 10 in 2022 after failing to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
China's WBSC Women's Softball World Cup medals - silver in 1994 &1986 and a bronze in 1990 - have been followed by four fourth-place finishes from 1998 to 2010 before eventually dropping off with a fifth (2012), two sevenths (2014 & 2016) and a 10th at the WBSC Women's Softball World Championship 2018.
"We aim to finish in the top four and strive to win a medal," China head coach Chang Dong Tang told the WBSC from the Caronno City International Tournament in Italy, where the team are warming up for the Women's Softball World Cup Finals against Australia, the Netherlands, and Puerto Rico (competing in the Finals Group B) and Czechia. "The two matches against Italy and Canada in the Opening Round are important for achieving this goal, and now we are ready."
Tang, 56, took over as China head coach in 2022 and after earning a spot in the World Cup Finals with a third-place finish in Group B last year, he also led China to a silver medal in the XIX Asian Games.
China advanced to the Finals, finishing third in Group B in Valencia, Spain. They finished with a 4-3 record in a very competitive group, defeating the Netherlands and Puerto Rico in the Opening Round but losing against both in the Play-Offs. The offence combined a .279 batting average with two home runs. The pitching staff posted a 1.4 earned run average (ERA).
After becoming the head coach of the national team, Tang, who has coached the Sichuan team in the Chinese Softball League since 1999,.told the state news agency Xinhua: "Returning to international competition after a long hiatus, we now have a clear understanding of our position. We are a powerhouse in Asia."
He added that the next level would be earning powerhouse status at the Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024. "Our roster is mainly based on the 2023 team," Tang said. "We only worked to make individual adjustments at certain positions.
"We worked on multiple aspects, first of all, the pitching staff. While stabilising their speed, we improved the strike zone control and the quality of the off-speed pitches. Our hitters mainly practised hitting pitches high in the strike zone and off-speed pitches to improve their contact; we wanted their swings to be quicker to adapt to the speed they would see in the World Cup Finals. We also worked hard on conditioning. We always prioritize physical condition. We are positive well-conditioned players get better results in the running game, defence, and all aspects of the game.
"Our strengths will be having consistent goals, mutual trust, and unity. We are very eager for the World Cup and are determined to win. Our players will execute the coach's requirements in the game without reservation."
China will face the hosts & world No. 6 Italy, on July 15 and No. 5 Canada the following day. They will finish the Opening Round (Group A) against defending champions & world No. 1 USA.
Women's softball in China, including the junior level, involves over 1,000 registered athletes.
