Beijing, January 25 - Comments from coaches and players of both teams after Japan beat China 61-44 in the women's bronze medal match.

Yoshiaki Iwasa (JPN) - Coach

On today's match:

"Today's game was a liltle different from the preliminary round. Our aim was to allow more Players to experience matchplay at the international level, so we focused more on gaining experience than on strategy. During the game, the strong play by China posed many challenges for us. We won the match, but I think our performance was just passable."

Ikumi Takubo (JPN) - Forward

On today's match:

"It was a good opportunity to prepare For the Paralympics. I defended well according to our strategy."

Wang Lei (CHN) - Guard

On expectations for Paralympics:

"We have Just over 200 days to prepare. Our government has enabled us to improve and develop in the best of circumstances. Playing against three strong teams during the tournament, every aspect of my playing level, in terms of wheelchair-handling skills, tactics and teamwork has seen dramatic improvement. We hope to realize our dreams in Paralympics. Gaining experience is our top priority, not to win."

On today's performance:

"My classification is 1.0, so my duty on court is to defend and help my higher-point teammates to score. I caused a couple of turnovers today, since my passing ability is low. Yet, from Japan, we can draw valuable lessons for cooperation and consistency."

Liu Tiehua (CHN) - Coach

On today's match:

"Our aim throughout the tournament was to learn and take lessons from our opponents. We treasure this great opportunity to broaden our horizons and we look past mere victories. Every player has worked hard both on court and during training."

On Japan's advantages:

"They are more united, and have a strong positionino sense. We first tried to use a full-court press but they were too fast so we were forced to change."

On China's performance:

"Our low-point players in terms of classification are inferior to those from Japan while our high-point teammates can perform at the same level. I think Chinese players must learn to better control their wheelchair and to improve their ball-handling skills, while working on their experience."

On this competition:

"This competition gave us chances to face the strongest teams in the world. Without this tournament, it would be impossible for us to play and learn from them. We have taken a new strategies and skills on board, which wlli prove invaluable."

On plans for the future:

"We are the youngest team in this field, in terms of experience and average age. We still have a lot of opportunities to come. Building on our performance this time, we will have a training camp in Shunyi, to build for the coming Paralympic Games."

Liu Mihuan (CHN) - Guard

On the match:

"We played better in the the first quarter, but we broke more rules and made less effective passes in later quarters."

Yoshiaki Iwasa (JPN) - Coach

On the strategy:

"We did not alter our strategy from our last match, we only introduced new players on court."

On this tournament:

"I'm satisfied with the performance of our team, and we have attained a lot of precious experience in the last week."

On JPN's goal for the Paralympics:

"As I said a few days ago, we aim to win a medal in the Paralympic Games."

Mika Takabayashi (JPN) - Guard

On JPN's strengths:

"We are very strong in defence, and are faster than our opponents despite our short stature. In this test event, we have come a long way after competing with some top teams, like Canada and Germany."

On JPN's disadvantages:

"Canada's players are taller than us on average. We have also seen the gulf that separates us and the top teams. We often start games well but peak too early and give easy turn-overs in following quarters."