BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Though curling is not yet a game known to many Chinese, it is an event that Chinese curling players pin high hopes on at the 6th winter Asian Games in Chinese northeast city Changchun.

    Defending champions South Korea, runners-up Japan and China as well as Kazakhstan enter the men's event while the four are also the only teams in the women's. The four countries will have double round robin competition in each event before the semifinals and the finals.

    China finished third in both events four years ago in Aomori, Japan where curling became the official program at the winter Asian Games for the first time.

    "I know they are strong but with home spectators rooting for us,we believe we can win," said women's curling team player Wang Bingyu.

    Curling began to be known to Chinese in 1995 but not until 2002 when professional team were set up. Until now, there are about 10 professional teams in China, mainly in Beijing and Heilongjiang province.

    "Chinese started playing curling much later than South Koreans and Japanese. As far as I know, there should be one or two decades of gap between us," said women's team leader Li Dongyan. "So they will be very strong opponents in the Asiad."

    "But we have made progress really fast in the past few years with a possibility of beating them, " he said.

    Chinese women's team seized the title in Pan-Pacific curling championships late last year while their men's counterparts finished third.

    Curling, believed to be originated from Scotland, is a game where players slide heavy granite stones down a sheet of ice at a circular target area. As the stone slides, teammates can sweep theice in its path with brooms or brushes. This warms the ice a little, reducing friction and causing the stone to slide farther and straighter. Curling appears to be a simple game, but to master it players must learn complex strategies.

    The 6th Winter Asian Games will open on Sunday through Feb. 4.