Team China won both men's and women's openers during the 2023 World ParaVolley (WPV) Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday.
In the men's opener, China took a 3-0 win over India after dominating the match in straight sets, 25-4, 25-8, 25-12.
In the women's match, China claimed a 3-0 win over Mongolia, triumphing 25-3, 25-7, 25-4 in three sets in Group E, which also includes Egypt, Rwanda, and Germany.
The competition in the Egyptian capital offers a ticket to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games per gender for the winner or the highest-placed non-qualified team of the tournament. Unlike their women's counterparts who have already qualified earlier this year, the Chinese men's team eyes the Paris spot at the World Cup this time.
"We trained a lot this year, even during weekends, as this World Cup is our third tournament this year after the Asian Zone Championships and the Asian Para Games," Wang Qiang, captain of the Chinese men's team, told Xinhua.
"We all hope that we can make it to the semifinals and even get higher ranks so we can get the available ticket to Paris," the 32-year-old added.
China's strong opponents include Iran, Brazil, and hosts Egypt, adding that the World Cup is a chance for China to compete and exchange expertise with some of the world's strongest teams, said Ye Jing, head coach of China's men's team.
Players in action during the women's match between China and Mongolia at the Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, November 12, 2023. /Xinhua
"It was a very good game. Our women's team already qualified for the Paris Paralympics, so we came here to know more about our competitors and exchange expertise with teams from different countries," said Xu Huimin, head coach of the Chinese women's team.
"We used new and younger players in this match and we will use stronger players in difficult matches ahead with strong competitors like Ukraine and Slovenia," the coach elaborated.
"Of course, our goal here is the gold medal, but it's also a very important opportunity for our younger players to gain more knowledge and expertise and interact with strong teams in this championship," she added.
The 2023 WPV Sitting Volleyball World Cup, running from November 11 to 18, features 23 teams with 13 in the men's category and 10 in the women's.
"China's women's team is very advanced at the international level. The technical level of the Chinese team is very high, as I have seen that during their training. All participating teams are focused and most of them eye the ticket to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games," Howayda Mondy, director of the organizing committee of the 2023 WPV Sitting Volleyball World Cup, noted.
(With input from Xinhua)