Live broadcast, May 20-recently, Guangzhou men’s basketball coach Guo Shiqiang accepted an exclusive interview with New Express.
Q: Three years passed quickly, and the team’s performance was obvious to all. In the next five years, talk about your goals for the team.
Guo Shiqiang: I just arrived at Guangzhou airport three years ago. I made it very clear that when I came to Guangzhou, I would rebuild a team and try to bring the team to the ranks of strong teams. We will not change this goal.
After three years of training, the team has made progress slowly through the adjustment of personnel, but it has not yet entered the ranks of strong teams. I always tell the players that it is the climbing stage and we are still climbing. In my heart, the CBA strong team is going to reach the top four, so we have to continue to work hard.
For the CBA team, it is very difficult to enter the top eight, then enter the top four, and even want to win the championship. But no matter how big the difficulty is, we will not give up. We all work hard according to our goals.
Q: from the past three years to the five years of renewal, eight years will be a long time. How did you talk to the boss at that time? What do you think of the reserve force of the team?
Guo Shiqiang: Eight years is really a long time for a coach. When the team owner talked to me at that time, he hoped that my contract renewal time would be longer (more than five years). After discussion, we finally reached an agreement and decided to renew the contract for five years.
The boss trusted me 100%. When I first talked with him, he told me that “professional people do professional things”. After saying this sentence, I was very steadfast in my heart. The boss’s trust is a very happy thing for our coach team.
We need time most now. The improvement and progress of the players must be gradually accumulated through daily training and competition. In addition, I told our management that we should keep the current class of domestic players.
And the construction of our echelon is also very important. I told General Manager Cui (general manager of Longshi Cui Chuang) that you should keep going out to find young players and help him improve my task through training, the construction of this echelon also requires a long-term plan.
Q: I have noticed that since you retired, your figure has basically changed from that of being an athlete, and you usually wear suits and suits when directing the competition. This kind of meticulous is your requirement for yourself. Will these infect the team?
Guo Shiqiang: I am thin mainly because I eat less, and the second is to sleep less. I haven’t gained weight all the time. But I must be meticulous in dealing with things. I must be very principled and set an example for the players. Not only training and competition, but also telling him how to behave.
Q: Do you feel the enthusiasm of Guangzhou fans when fighting at home?
Guo Shiqiang: After returning to the main and away games system, the seven home games of dragon and lion were full, which really surprised us. I bought tickets for my friends to watch the ball. I am very willing to spend this money.
The enthusiasm of the fans is a very good thing for our city and team. Now more and more fans like us and pay attention to us, which is a very good signal. We are a weak team and need to train fans. We hope more fans will come to watch the game and cheer for us. We will give back to spectators of the fans with our achievements and sportsmanship.
Q: Actually, the job of coach is very high pressure, and your white hair is much more, which must be brought by pressure. How do you relieve this pressure at ordinary times?
Guo Shiqiang: Coach is a high-risk industry, which is the same all over the world. But I love this job very much. No matter how much pressure I have, I can bear it. In fact, I don’t have any way to adjust it. I am a boring person. I don’t have any hobbies. If I have pressure, I will carry it alone. I like to sit quietly and go alone. Because I feel that I can withstand these pressures.
Q: What about the the image of the city Guangzhou?
Guo Shiqiang: my impression of Guangzhou is very good. Guangzhou is very warm, just like the weather here. In addition, Guangzhou is very tolerant and pragmatic. There is a good cultural background here. I usually learn about Guangzhou by reading books and watching news, and know about this city with a long history.
Of course, because there is not much time, I have only been to the Pearl River before, and then I have been to Yongqing square, and my waist has not been there. If I have time, I also want to go more.
Q: Is there any Cantonese food that you prefer?
Guo Shiqiang: during holidays, I usually like to take my family to drink morning tea. To say, my favorite is shrimp dumpling and preserved egg lean meat porridge.