"It's understandable under this special situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, since epidemic-prevention is very important," said Jia Xiuquan, head coach of the women's soccer squad, adding that, regarding the requirements, the stricter the better.

Led by 24 Olympic champions and guided by experienced coaches, including 30 hired from abroad, the Chinese teams will compete on a goal set by delegation chief Gou Zhongwen to stay at least within the top three on the overall medal table in Tokyo, and to try to better China's haul of 26 gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.