Volleyball coach Lang Ping not to follow Yao Ming's footsteps

Li Quanqiang, director of the Chinese volleyball administrative center, visited Lang in Chicago after her surgery.

"The most important thing for Coach Lang is to recover from surgeries, and we had a very good talk. I am sure she would return as China coach," Li said.

Although she declines to be the Chinese volleyball chief herself, Lang is certain that Yao Ming will do a good job as the basketball president.

"Yao has NBA experience, and he is young, sagacious and courageous," said Lang. "I believe he and his colleagues will push Chinese basketball to a new level."

China is planning a deepening reform on domestic volleyball leagues, like expanding the duration to five months, adding more matches and teams, bringing in playback system and restoring all-star games.

"With more teams and more professional players, the national teams can have more choices," Li said.

Li disclosed that China will bring in a foreign coach for the men's team, as they missed both the London and Rio Olympics.

"The search for a high-level foreign coach is going on," Li said.

Lang calls for an expansion of the volleyball-playing population in China, especially on school campus.

"China should also attract more teenagers to play volleyball, just as Italy, the United States and Brazil do," Lang said.