China team's fate lies with government

BEIJING (Reuters) - National beach volleyball players around the world decide on their own partners, but in Communist China, it is the government which makes up the pairs.

Even the two teams who made the women's semi-finals at the Olympics do not know what is in store.

"I'm not too sure about my partner in the future, but we'll go with whatever our country decides for us," said Tian Jia, who will play the U.S. defending champions in the women's final with her partner of two years, Wang Jie.

"Of course there will be some regret if we have to change partners, but it's an adjustment we have to make," said Tian, still covered with sand after beating compatriots Zhang Xi and Xue Chen in an all-Chinese semi-final.

Beach volleyball was introduced at the Atlanta Games in 1996 and between then and now, it has won plaudits for the stunning Sydney setting of Bondi Beach and pumped up the energy in Athens by adding dancing girls and rock music to the competition.

It also changed some rules and made the court smaller to speed up the game and make it as good to watch for the sport as for the swimsuits, sun and sand.

China, perhaps less interested in the razzmatazz, is famed for rigorously grooming its athletes from a very young age in hopes of securing gold medals at the Olympics.

The younger Zhang and Xue have also said they will defer to the authorities when it comes to their future partners, jokingly asking each other at a news conference if they would miss the other.

Men's pair Xu and Zu have also said their future depends on orders from above, much to the bemusement of their international rivals who rate them highly as a young team full of potential.

Tian also hinted that she might be dropped from the beach volleyball team by the 2012 Olympics in London.

"I'll be over 30," the 27-year-old said by way of excuse, although many players compete well into their thirties.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)