China Enlists Brazilian Coach

 Xiamen, China, April 20, 2018 – Host nation China has enlisted Brazilian coach Paulo Roberto Moreira da Costa to work with six Chinese teams including Wang Fan and Xia Xinyi now competing at 2018 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Xiamen Open.

Quick links - FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour:
Xiamen - Website
Xiamen - Schedule and Results
Xiamen - Tournament Notes


Paulo Roberto Moreira da Costa from Brazil joined the Chinese team in November last year and is working with three women’s teams, Wang Fan & Xia Xinyi, Bai Bing & Wang Xinxin and Yuan Lvwen & Wang Jingwen and three men’s teams, Ha Likejiang & Wu Jiaxi, Gao Peng & Li Yang and Wang Yanwei & Zhou Chaowei.

Now based in Haikou on Hainan Island in the south of China, Moreira da Costa previously spent five years working with the Italian teams during the last two Olympics in London and Rio.

“I have a good situation in Haikou, we stay inside the big university and have four courts, a gym and everything there. Maybe next year we will go to Sanya to the centre of the volleyball federation. We have a good condition to work,” said Moreira da Costa.
China’s Wang Fan (right) and Xia Xinyi along with coach Paulo Roberto Moreira da Costa

“This year is an adaptation because for me China is a different culture from the other countries I worked. Everything is new for me and new for the players too. My methodology for the work is new and we need the time for adaptation for this, both me and them. We are starting to do this a little more now and it’s important.

“Another difficulty for me is that not all players speak English. I have the translator, but beach volleyball is not just translating what you do, it’s important to really understand the concept for what I would like to say. For me I think the biggest change I would like to see is mentally and for this we need more time,” said Moreira da Costa.

“I think beach volleyball in China has a good tradition for the women’s principle. For the men’s, the last team played the Olympics in London and have good players, good potential players. China is quite closed so I think something new will help them to improve more and this is my job here,” said Moreira da Costa.

China’s top team in Xiamen, Wang Fan & Xia Xinyi progressed into first round single elimination, defeating Madalein Meppelink and Sanne Keizer from the Netherlands in a close fight, 2-1 (20-22, 23-21, 15-12).

Keizer Sanne (left) from Switzerland at the net with Xia Xinyi from China

“The girls didn’t start well, but after we started to play better and in the second we did 20-20 and we had a chance to win. In the third set we played much better.

“We have a goal to stay in the top five teams here, we have come from a long time in Brazil – two months, training hard in Brazil and this week we played one Asian tournament in Thailand and won and arrived the day after and start to play here, so I hope we have the condition to do this,” said Moreira da Costa.