'Big wall' pair build careers in Croatia

Chinese handball players Zhao Chen and Wang Quan have arrived in Croatia hoping to take their game to a new level in a country renowned as a stronghold of the sport.

The duo have joined Croatian Premier League club Zamet, which is based in the seaport town of Rijeka, until the end of the season.

Standing at 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8 respectively, Zhao and Wang have already been dubbed the "The Big Wall of China" in Croatia.

And the defensive pair, who could be handed their debuts against Zagreb-based Metalac on Saturday, are keen to live up to their lofty label.

"Coming to Rijeka is a new experience for both of us. We will do our best at every practice and at every match and we hope that we will help our new teammates," 28-year-old left-back Zhao said at the players' unveiling on Thursday.

"We've been practicing with the team and we were very well accepted," said 25-year-old goalkeeper Wang, who comes from Jiangsu province.

"There is no problem in communication because the language of sport is universal. I can't wait to play my first match here and I hope that we will get huge support.

"We are still adjusting to the climate and time-zone change. It's now cold in Croatia but I can't wait for the summer to come so that we can go to the beach that we can see from our apartment."

It's hoped Zhao and Wang's stint in Croatia will boost plans by China's handball federation to turn the men's national team into a major force in Asia and ultimately the world. At the recent Asian championship, China finished ninth of 14 teams.

In contrast, handball is one of the most popular sports in Croatia, and the men's national team, nicknamed the "Cowboys," is regarded as one of the world's best, winning the 1996 and 2004 Olympic titles as well as the 2003 world championship.