"Iron Hammer" Lang to coach Chinese local club

BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Former Chinese and U.S. national volleyball head coach Lang Ping has signed to take charge of a club team in South China.

Lang Ping, head coach of the U.S. women's volleyball team, directs players during the women's preliminary pool A match 23 between China and the United States at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games volleyball event in Beijing, China, Aug. 15, 2008. The U.S. beat China 3-2.  (Xinhua File Photo)

The former Chinese star hitter, known as Jenny to her American colleagues, told Xinhua on Monday that she had signed with Guangdong Hengda women's club on Monday.

It will be Lang's first coaching job in China in 11 years.

Her last coaching spell at home was from 1995 to 1998 when Lang led the Chinese women's national team to an Olympic silver medal in Atlanta and the world championship runners-up in Japan.

The 49-year-old is now enjoying her break in Beijing and her take-over of a local club has been supported by China's volleyball heavyweights.

Former Chinese sports minister and volleyball chief Yuan Weimin, Lang's former teammate Zhang Rongfang, general secretary of the Chinese volleyball administrative center, and the center's director Xu Li all applauded Lang's decision.

The Guangdong Hengda club, owned by the real estate giant Hengda, is the first privately funded volleyball club in China.