Chinese coach laments dearth of young talent

GUANGZHOU - Chinese coach Jiang Hongwei was overjoyed at reclaiming the women's tennis team gold in Guangzhou, but he worries that winning the battle may have cost his country the war in terms of securing future success in the sport.

Grand Slam semifinalist Li Na and former world top 30 player Peng Shuai met little resistance en route to defeating Chinese Taipei 2-1 in the final this week, and grabbing an Asiad title that eluded the country for 24 years. Its last win was at Seoul in 1986.

However, China's reliance on its aging stars means that younger players aren't getting a chance to acquaint themselves with the pressure of performing at such a pressurized event, a trend that Jiang thinks will see China suffer when the old guard retires.