China women's water polo coach, Juan Jane Giralt, instructs his players during their final match against Greece at the World Championships in Shanghai on Friday. China suffered a narrow 9-8 loss but still achieved a historic best result. Cui Meng / China Daily

A historic silver medal by China women's water polo team will inspire the sport's future, Sun Xiaochen reports

The "Yulan Bridge" indoor pool of the Oriental Sports Center had not been so boisterous during the 14th FINA Swimming World Championships. Cheering fans fi lled every corner of the stand, while volunteers and security offi cials stopped their work to stare at the pool from packed corridors.

Reporters from various countries rushed out to jam the once empty media seats while photographers scrambled to claim their positions an hour before the match.

There was one simple reason for the fuss - China's female water polo squad had stormed into the worlds' final for the first time.

"We came here especially for them. We have never watched the sport before but we have to support our own team in the final," Wei Yiyao, a 26-year-old company employee told China Daily before the final on Friday.

However, it was a totally different story when the team began its first group match with nary a fan in sight two weeks ago.

"We prepared well for the competition, but we didn't prepare for this (claiming the silver and being cheered so strongly). It's a surprising experience going through the worlds in and out of the pool," the team's leader, Liu Qinlong, said after China lost to Greece, 9-8, in a thrilling final.

Liu's 14-member team came to Shanghai as an underdog whose main aim was to "break out of the group stage". It leaves the event with its greatest international result and high hopes for the 2012 London Olympics.

"Honestly, we didn't imagine we could move on to the final and we never expected we could also draw such great attention," said Liu. "We definitely should attribute it to coach Juan."

China's Spanish coach, Juan Jane Giralt, said: "Although it was a little bit disappointing as we were so close to the gold, I am happy about our performance. We just lost to a better team tonight. It was still a great success."

Dubbed the "water polo godfather", Giralt, 58, came to guide China in 2007 and boosted it quickly; leading the squad to fifth at the Beijing Olympics after it finished last at the 2005 worlds.

A tough training regimen and strict rules are Giralt's secrets to improving the team's performance.

Preparing for the Beijing Games, the squad adhered to a nine-hour daily training schedule for nine months, while the energetic Spaniard reduced many of his swimmers to tears if they failed to reach his demanding levels, said the squad's top scorer, Ma Huanhuan.

Ma, who scored 19 goals during the seven-game worlds, said she even felt sick after soaking in the water with lead weights wrapped on her feet for more than six hours every day.

"It was really a tough process that I don't want to remember," said 21-year-old Ma.

Despite the grueling years, Ma and her teammates' lives have been significantly changed.

Boasting solid international performances under Giralt's guidance, the players' income has doubled over the past two years thanks to the increase in prize money, while Ma and her fellow center, Sun Yating, have been sent to play in the Greek professional league.

Considering women's water polo is the only collective-ball event in which China has legitimate medal prospects in London, the sport's governing body has paid unprecedented attention, seeing four more local teams organized and one Under-19 reserve squad being formed.

From the beginning to the worlds' podium, Giralt has spent four years to realize one small dream and now has his sights on a far bigger one next year in London.

"For me, a dream that I made in 2007 comes true. We took it step by step to get on the podium here. Hopefully we can do better at the London Olympics," said Giralt, who also led the roster to a bronze medal at the FINA World Cup last year.

(China Daily 08/01/2011 page23)