China's women's ice hockey team have set their sights on gold while their men's counterparts will strive to finish in the top three at the 6th Winter Asian Games, opening on Sunday in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province.

The women's team, who have won twice before, only got bronze in Aomori, Japan, in 2003.

"The girls are determined to win back the gold. They are highly spirited and motivated now," said Ji Junfeng, an ice hockey official with the State General Administration of Sports.

China finished top of the podium at the 1996 Games in Harbin and made a successful defence three years later in Kangwon, South Korea, before being beaten into bronze in Japan.

After failing to qualify for the 2006 Turin Olympics, understandable considering there are only around 100 full-time women ice hockey players in China, the team underwent a major change.

New blood was infused in 2005 when 11 students from Harbin Sports School joined the team and Finland's Jorma Siitarinen, the fourth foreign coach, took over in 2006.

"These players will be put to the test when they face Japan and Kazakhstan, who are our major rivals in the Games," he said.

Japan have been runners-up for the past three Games while Kazakhstan upset China to win the gold last time after finishing third twice.

Chinese men's ice hockey, champions in the first and second Winter Games, also have a new foreign coach on board. But with Japan and Kazakhstan strong, a podium finish is considered a good result.

Jarmo Jamalainen, also from Finland, has had little time to prepare for the Games as he only took over the team last week.

Pooled in Group C with Kuwait and Macao, the team's first test is likely to come from South Korea in the second phase.

"It will be a tough battle for them," Ji predicted.

(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2007)