The Chinese women's national softball team has set top two as the goal for the coming Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, the team's head coach Tang Changdong said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

"Our plan is to confirm China as a powerhouse in Asia," Tang said. "Japan are the Olympic gold medalists, but we are totally capable of challenging them. Our goal is top two and no less than that."

China reached the final of the Women Softball Asia Cup in South Korea in April after defeating Chinese Taipei 11-1, but lost to Japan 6-0 in the final. Tang believes that the team has gained their confidence back and collected a lot of experience by competing in the Asia Cup after missing major international tournaments for a long time.

"Our performance in the Asia Cup showed what a team we are. We are one of the heavyweights in Asia and we have built our style of playing," Tang told Xinhua. He is glad to see what the players have achieved, but also pointed out that they still have a lot to work on improvising on the field, making choice in front of complicated situations and improving mental strength as well as their understanding of the sport.

"Softball is about strength and skills, but it's also about intelligence," Tang said. "Players' understanding of softball culture and their developing of wisdom on the field will grow as they have a better understanding of the game. We are not good enough on that front yet."

China used to be a dominant force in the women's softball in the Asian Games as they won the event's gold three straight times in 1990, 1994 and 1998. Thirteen years ago, when China secured the silver medal in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Tang was a member of the coaching group.

China will play Spain, Cuba, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico and South Africa in the group stage of the Women's Softball World Cup in July before the Hangzhou Asian Games. The top two teams of this group will advance to the finals in 2024. That is the goal set by Tang for his players.