At the age of 33, Zheng Liang is one of the few veteran players that Chinese head coach Di Anhe can count on at the World Cup.

Standing at 201cms, Zheng Liang is the most effective blocker of the Chinese team but he also has so many attacking tactics at his fingers that he is also one of China’s main weapons.

A Zhejiang native, Zheng began to play Volleyball in 1985 and he was selected into the Zhejiang club five years later. In the 2002-2003 season, he led Zhejiang Liqun to win their first ever championship in the national league.

Zheng made his debut for the Chinese national team in 1992 and has been a regular since then. He participated in the world championships in 1994 and 1998 and helped China clinch the title at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 and the Asian Championship in Iran the year after.

When Di Anhe took the helm of the national side in 2001, many veterans were dismissed but Zheng stayed. “His experience at international tournaments will be valuable for the young team,” Di said.

More than a month ago, Zheng helped China realise the silver medal at the 2003 Asian Championship in Tianjin, China.