The Chinese wheelchair rugby team lost their second game to Canada in the Beijing Paralympic wheelchair rugby preliminary on Saturday.

The two teams were badly mismatched. Canada has one of the strongest teams in the world, whilst the Chinese squad has only been together for about one year. Nevertheless, players from both sides enjoyed the match and the sport itself.

Our reporter Xiao Yee takes you on the pitch.

It's not a rock concert, but the excitement is just as great.

Wheelchair rugby is known as the fiercest sport in the Paralympics. It encompasses the mayhem of dodge ball, the crash of hockey and the finesse of football. But its players are athletes with some of the most severe physical disabilities among all Paralympians.

All eight players in the court are quadriplegics. They have various injuries in their necks, and limited function in each of their four limbs.

However, when they are sitting in their wheelchairs on the pitch, they are fearless warriors ready to smash anything that gets in their way.

Chen Jun is the score leader in team China. He is also the only player from both teams that played a full match of 32 minutes.

"I feel so good. I love this feeling. I think I'm pretty fit for this sport, because the sport wheelchair makes me feel that I can run again. It feels so good. As soon as I know this sport, I fell in love with it."

23-year-old Chen Jun became quadriplegic six years ago when he was stabbed helping others to fight against a group of delinquents. Before the accident, Chen Jun loved playing football. He had no idea about rugby, except for a brief scene of the American football Super Bowl on television.
But now he thinks wheelchair rugby is even more exciting than the Super Bowl, because he can crash his wheelchair into opponents.
"I will confront any wheelchair coming towards me. I'm not afraid. Bumping is the most exciting moment of the game."

Wheelchair rugby originated in Canada in the 1970s. It involves teams of four players who pass, dribble, and sprint in wheelchairs. The aim is to carry a white ball across the goal line at either end of the pitch.

Another unique point of this sport is that it allows both male and female athletes to play together. 40-year-old Zhang Wenli is the eldest female player in the Chinese team.

"I never regard myself as a female player on the court. I'm just the same as others, just a player. I'm very happy. The sport has helped me to rebuild my confidence."

Erika Schmutz from team Canada also enjoys playing with her male teammates.

"It's like eleven brothers, so it's good. It takes a lot of years to get to this level. It doesn't happen overnight. You have to work harder, but if you want to play that's all you have to do."

Mixed with the sounds of rock music, crashing wheelchairs and cheering spectators, wheelchair rugby ignites the whole stadium. It's a sport which has it all.

Xiao Yee, CRI news.