Off the field, Na Yubo calls himself a “lazy loafer” who loves to spend time with his family and friends. Once he dons the Chinese red, though, he is a different person. At 27, Yubo is one of the key members of the Chinese hockey squad at the Asia Cup.

With his nippy runs down the flanks and the ability to slice through any opposition, he has been the main force for the Chinese attack in the tournament. Even though the team went down to Korea in the semi-finals, Yubo has been impressive all through. After the first two games, he has been constantly marked by at least two defenders in every team, and somehow still managed to shake them off.

Speaking with the help an interpreter, Yubo says he is proud to play for China, irrespective of the results. “I just want to be the best hockey player in the country and help my team win. Even though it is is not a very popular sport in China and hockey players are not really stars, I like playing,” he says.

Having begun playing only seven years ago, Yubo has been part of the Chinese squad for the last five years. He was also instrumental in China’s dream run in the 2006 Asian Games and scored the only goal in the final, where they lost to Korea.

China coach Guo Jie has said the reason for China’s rapid growth in hockey in recent years is down to the intense training imparted in schools, where the sport is now an important part of the curriculum, and an emphasis on playing as many international matches as possible against every major hockey-playing nation.

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