Coach Lang extends Team China contract

Legendary coach Lang Ping has extended her contract with the Chinese women's volleyball team until the end of next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Li Quanqiang, director of the China Volleyball Administrative Center, told Xinhua on Thursday that the 60-year-old Lang has put pen to paper on the deal, and that a training camp for her national squad will begin in mid-January in Beijing.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics until next summer and denied Lang's team the chance to play any official matches this year.

Li said that while uncertainties remain over the Games, Lang's squad will continue to prepare fully with systematical training and warm-up games against various men's teams.

Lang was installed as China's coach in 2013, steering her charges to a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2015 and 2019 Women's World Cup titles.