搜狐体育讯 Chinese Badminton Team’s Head Coach LI Yongbo: 2-3 Gold Medals in Athens 2004

　　China swept the board in Jakarta earlier this month, including the stronghold Ube and the long-missed Thomas. But, as China’s head coach LI sees, Athens will prove a tougher job for China than Jakarta.

　　Reporter: Have you become aware that, owing to China’s glorious success in Jakarta, the nation and the media have fostered an even higher expectation for your team in Athens?

　　LI Yongbo: This is the least that I want to see. Surely it is encouraging that we have satisfied the nation by our performance in Thomas and Ube, but I should say that those two cups do not serve as a preliminary auspice for the Olympics. Nevertheless, the players have got invaluable match experience in Jakarta and now they are more confident for their prospects in Athens.

　　Reporter: You used to boast that the three goals of the Chinese team are Ube, Thomas and Athens 2004. How do see the prospect of China winning four gold medals?

　　LI Yongbo: Definitely we want at least four as we did in Sydney.

　　Reporter: According to an opinion poll, over half the fans polled believe that China will secure 4-5 gold medals. Do you view this as justified?

　　LI Yongbo: I know that’s a good wish from our fans. Actually, our present situation does not guarantee that much.

　　Reporter: frankly, how many championships do you expect?

　　LI Yongbo: Two or three will be reasonable. In terms of certainty I will list women’s doubles, women’s singles and men’s singles.

　　Reporter: The international badminton media drew conclusion after Thomas and Ube that Indonesia and Malaysia have moved into recession and that Denmark is catching up. The main obstacles for China will be Denmark and Korea. How do you comment on that?

　　LI Yongbo: I don’t share the same view. The world badminton is still dominated by the so-called “Five Powers”. They are Denmark, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and China. They may fluctuate a little bit, but the overall picture remain unchanged.

　　Reporter: Do you know that China Central Television (CCTV) will not broadcast the badminton matches in Athens live? Many fans regard it as a pity as they couldn’t cheer for their team at home. What do you say to them?

　　LI Yongbo: The only thing I could say to those numerous fans is that it is really a pity. But I have no final say in it. It’s up to the media to decide which events to cover.