Zhou Dispute Leaves Bitter Taste CBA Rules in Spotlight After Team China Star Decides to Sit out Season Over Contract Standoff
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
20 | Tuesday, August 31, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS Re-United BASKETBALL Zhou dispute leaves bitter taste CBA rules in spotlight after Team China star decides to sit out season over contract standoff By SUN XIAOCHEN [email protected] Hoops star Zhou Qi’s withdrawal from the new CBA season amid a dispute with his club has sparked heated debate on the league’s rules governing contract extensions. In a shocking decision that bene- fits no one involved, Chinese Manchester United fans hold up a cardboard cutout of incoming signing Cristiano Ronaldo during Sun- national team center Zhou on Sun- day’s English Premier League game at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Teenage striker Mason Greenwood day announced that he will sit out scored for the third straight game in a 1-0 win over Wolves, and afterward United boss Ole Gunnar Sols- the 2021-22 CBA campaign after kjaer said Ronaldo would add more firepower should the Portuguese complete his move and begin a failing to secure his release from second spell at Old Trafford. “Cristiano, he’s evolved as a player, he used to play wide right, wide left, up the Xinjiang Flying Tigers follow- front, he’s more of a center-forward for me at the moment, definitely,” said Solskjaer. AFP ing the expiration of his contract this summer. “I am announcing that I will skip the whole season without playing PARALYMPICS for any teams,” the 25-year-old former NBA player said in a Weibo post. “I insist that this is the way to Table tennis veterans still protect the legitimate rights of players, which is part of my respon- sibility.” Despite Zhou’s avowed desire to paddling against the tide seek opportunities elsewhere as a “free agent”, the Flying Tigers insist that, as per league rules, they are TOKYO — Although not a gold- within their legal rights to keep medal contender, table tennis play- Zhou as long as they offer him a er Zhao Ping still enjoyed some of maximum contract. the limelight as the oldest Chinese In June, Xinjiang offered Zhou athlete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralym- an extension deal reportedly worth pic Games. 6 million yuan ($927,600) a year — Zhou Qi will sit out the new CBA season after failing to force a “I feel good,” said the 56-year-old, the highest possible contract with- release from the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. XINHUA who sometimes competes against in the CBA’s salary cap system. paddlers less than half his age. Zhou, though, has refused to Zhao won his first match in Tokyo return to the team despite losing an take place in Hangzhou during the promise to build a title-contending 3-1 against Ireland’s 26-year-old appeal to the CBA league company 2022 offseason. roster around him. Colin Judge, affirming that his age that challenged Xinjiang’s claims A product of domestic power- While some fans have criticized would not inhibit him from his Par- to exclusivity over his services. house Liaoning’s youth system, Zhou’s outspoken approach, some alympic dream. “I hope what happened to me Zhou was signed by Xinjiang in observers have voiced support for This was Zhao’s fourth Paralym- will trigger the league to establish a 2014 to a lucrative contract, and at his actions. pic appearance. Nowadays, he says more reasonable system to safe- the age of 18 was promoted to the “It won’t only be a matter for he has to train harder than his guard players’ rights,” Zhou wrote club’s senior team for the 2014-15 Zhou but also for other players, younger opponents to sustain his on Weibo. CBA season. who are facing or will face the same competitiveness, and remains hope- “I will submit supplementary After helping the Flying Tigers situation,” Yang Yi, a basketball ful of competing at the next Para- Table tennis player Zhang Yan, 54 is competing in his fifth Paralym- materials to the Chinese Basketball win the franchise’s first CBA title in commentator, said in a column lympic Games in Paris in 2024. pic Games in Tokyo. REUTERS Association as soon as possible. I 2017, Zhou joined the Houston published on qq.com on Monday. Zhao finished fifth in the men’s expect the association to conduct a Rockets, who selected him in the “The dispute, the discussions it singles, vowing to keep playing as fair and just arbitration over the 2016 NBA Draft as the 43rd overall raised and a potential arbitration long as he stays fit and healthy. Rio and this time she is aiming for a continue competing. matter.” pick. should Zhou lodge a further appeal Having been paralyzed following gold medal in the women’s singles. The 54-year-old was struck by According to Xinjiang’s general He ultimately failed to make the will push the league operations to a car accident in 1999, Zhao first Xiong ultimately had to settle for polio in his youth, but encouraged manager, Guo Jian, the organiza- grade with the former team of Chi- become more professional and took up table tennis to assist his silver after losing the Class 9 gold- by his mother, he picked up a table tion did nothing wrong in exercis- nese hoops legend Yao Ming, and more standard, in the sense of rehabilitation. medal match against Australia’s Lei tennis bat at age 7. ing its right to keep Zhou. after two years in the US, returned striking a better balance between However, as time went by, he also Lina. “It made me healthier and happi- “Regrettably, he’s made his deci- to Xinjiang. the interests of club investors and found confidence and happiness in Xiong, who used to be an able- er,” he said. sion the way he did. Nobody wins With several teammates, all key players,” he said. the sport. bodied paddler in Heilongjiang Overuse of his left hand to move in this situation,” Guo said in a Bei- members on the 2016-17 champion- Su Qun, chief editor of Basketball “I hope that the Paralympics can province, chose to become a para- his wheelchair while playing even- jing News report. “We did what we ship roster, being traded ahead of Pioneer newspaper, however, help more people learn about the athlete after developing sclerosing tually gave him calluses, which fre- could (to offer him a max contract), the 2020-21 season, Zhou was left backed the league’s stance on pro- disabled community and encourage osteomyelitis, a bone disease. quently wore away and grew back but it didn’t work out.” to almost single-handedly carry the tecting the interests of team more disabled people to participate Despite her advancing years, again. According to reports, negotia- team’s hopes throughout the last owners. in sports and social life,” he said. Xiong’s passion for table tennis has “I don’t know how many layers of tions between the two parties to CBA campaign, and grew increas- “Almost all the CBA teams are Zhao is among a 27-strong Chi- never waned. calluses there have been,” Zhang resolve the issue had failed ahead ingly frustrated with the team’s running with a financial loss due to nese table tennis team participating The year-long postponement of said. of Tuesday’s player registration lack of quality new signings. the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact,” in the Tokyo Paralympics. Fifteen of Tokyo 2020 due to the COVID-19 He failed to advance at Tokyo aft- deadline. Zhou repeatedly expressed his Su opined in a social media post. them are over 30 years old and more pandemic demanded an extra level er two consecutive losses in the As the backbone of China’s cur- resentment on social media follow- “At the moment, it’s more impor- than half have competed in at least of commitment and training, which men’s singles, but the veteran was rent national team, missing out on ing the Flying Tigers’ postseason tant than ever to protect a team’s two Paralympic Games. These veter- Xiong said has helped to both far from disheartened. domestic top-flight action for an elimination in April. investment in player development ans have become the mainstays of improve her technique and boost “To compete again in the Para- entire season will no doubt take a “Are you guys going to keep and to make sure that every team, the squad. her confidence. lympic Games is already a dream heavy toll on both Zhou’s own drawing a big pie on paper for me? not just the big franchises, can stay Xiong Guiyan, 45, is competing at Zhang Yan, a five-time Paralympi- come true for me,” he said. career development and the You guys still expect me to buy it?” competitive for the sake of both the her second Paralympics. She and an, is another whose pure passion national program’s prospects at Zhou wrote on Weibo on April 19, game and the club’s financial her teammates finished second in for the sport keeps him motivated to XINHUA next year’s Asian Games, which will referring to Xinjiang’s unfulfilled health.” SHOOTING Legendary coach Chang keeping China on target When Yang Haoran won gold at the qualification stage in 31st place in the 1970s, when he was just 21. At one-two finish in the men’s 10m air the Tokyo Olympic Games, his as his career hit an all-time low. that time, the rifle events were dom- rifle. Four years later, Zhu claimed a coach, Chang Jingchun, was in the In 2018, the appointment of inated by European nations and the silver on home soil.