CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, February 5, 2021 | 19 A6 | ANNOUNCEMENT Friday, February 5, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

BASKETBALL

We can spare no CBA break designed to efforts in trying to raise our game to a new level and striving for better boost Team China’s hopes results.” Xu Limin, head coach of China’s women’s team League planning late­March restart after Doha tourney Women’s squad braced

By SHI FUTIAN [email protected] for Tokyo uncertainties

The Chinese Basketball Associa­ tion has announced the third stage Facing an uphill battle in the China edged Australia at the of this season’s CBA league will start Tokyo 2020 Olympic women’s bas­ 2019 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup — in March in order to accommodate ketball tournament, the Chinese but the Aussies were without the the Team China stars who will play national team is endeavoring to services of Cambage that day. at this month’s FIBA Asia Cup quali­ raise its game “to a new level” Emma Meesseman is expected fiers in Doha. despite the difficulties caused by spearhead Belgium’s challenge. With the second stage of the CBA the COVID­19 pandemic. The power forward was named on season ending this week, the delay China will face Australia, Puerto the All­Star Five team at the 2018 will allow China’s players to contest Rico and Belgium in the group World Cup as the Belgians reached the qualifying games in the Qatari phase of the Olympic Games in the semifinals. capital and then return home and Tokyo this summer. A year later, Meesseman won the complete medical quarantine “We cannot control some exter­ WNBA championship with the before resuming the action with nal factors such as the pandemic Washington Mystics and was their clubs. and opponents, but we can spare named Finals MVP. Zhuji, Zhejiang province, will con­ Liaoning guard Guo Ailun (left) and technical adviser Jiang Xinquan question a call during a CBA game no efforts in trying to raise our China and Belgium have shared tinue to host CBA games for the against Guangdong in Zhuji, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday. Marshon Brooks scored a game­high 36 game to a new level and striving the spoils in their recent match­ remainder of the regular season and points as Guangdong rallied to beat Liaoning 118­115. XINHUA for better results,” China head ups, with Xu rating the Belgians as the playoffs inside a bio­secure bub­ coach Xu Limin told Xinhua in an his team’s main rival in the fight ble, where strict COVID­19 preven­ exclusive interview. for second spot in the group. tion regulations are in place. been going well so far. We are confi­ down to 12 players for the Doha trip. in peak condition. China won all three of its Olym­ China has had few encounters in The CBA All­Star Weekend has dent of smoothly finishing the rest “We hope to select players of dif­ “We are now living in a very spe­ pic qualifying games in Belgrade in recent years with Puerto Rico, been scheduled for late March in of the season.” ferent age groups at the short train­ cial situation amid the pandemic, February last year, providing the which is regarded as something Qingdao, Shandong province. The Asia Cup qualifiers will be ing camp. This will be a chance for and now Spring Festival is upon us nation with a timely morale boost of an unknown quantity. Qingdao’s local epidemic preven­ Team China’s first international them to show their skills to us, and again. So I want to thank all the amid its epidemic fight. “There is no minnow in the tion regulations at the time will games since its disappointing per­ the coaches will get a better idea of players and coaches who remain But the postponement of the group, and nothing is impossible determine whether spectators will formance at the 2019 FIBA World their current condition,” said Team willing to serve the national team. Tokyo Olympics until 2021 has pro­ on the Olympic stage,” said Xu. be allowed into the arena for the Cup. As the host team, the Chinese China head coach Du Feng. Also thanks to the support from all duced uncertainties. Another uncertainty is the new All­Star game. squad finished 24th out of 32 teams “The door of the national team is the clubs and our support team.” Without international matches competition format which has dis­ “The third and the fourth stages and missed out on Asia’s only direct open to all talents. And we will be To ensure the safety of all for nearly a year, China, like most pensed with the usual two groups will still use the same format. And qualification spot for the Tokyo focusing on nurturing more of the involved, the CBA has arranged teams, has found it difficult to of six teams. after Team China returns from the Olympics — ultimately resulting in nation’s future stars.” charter flights to Doha for Team keep tabs on opponents. Instead, the 12 teams have been Asia Cup qualifiers, the players will the departure of Li Nan as head With barely any time to rest China. Xu admitted that it will take split into three groups of four, with still go through the medical quaran­ coach. before the qualifiers, however, “We all know that to play for the time for national players to fully the top two sides from each pool tine,” said CBA spokesman Zhang Team China did not participate in adjusting from bubble life to the national team at the Asia Cup at switch their focus to their interna­ and the two best third­place finish­ Chi. any international tournaments in national team is likely to prove diffi­ such a special time means the play­ tional duties, as they have just fin­ ers progressing to the knockout “The exact start time of the third 2020 due to the pandemic, so the cult for China’s players. ers need to sacrifice a lot,” said CBA ished their league campaign and phase. stage will depend on when the play­ forthcoming qualifiers are a chance The players are also missing out president Yao Ming. “So we will try will play qualifiers for China’s 14th “It requires us to fight from the ers return to China. So it will proba­ for the players to gain some meas­ on their Spring Festival holidays to our best to provide the safest envi­ National Games. very first game and try to garner as bly be in late March... Ensuring the ure of redemption. travel to Doha, where they will face ronment for them. We hope they can “The pandemic has prevented many points as we can,” Xu said. safety of the players and the league China will face Malaysia in its an exhausting schedule of six games arrive and return safely and play us from using the usual methods to “We have envisaged huge pres­ after they return is one of our priori­ Group B opener on Feb 17, followed in seven days. well in the qualifiers. warm up for major tournaments,” sure and difficulties as many of our ties. The CBA has made contingency by games against Japan and Chi­ Despite all the difficulties, coach “The players may have good or Xu said. players are Olympic debutants. plans and we will adjust the sched­ nese Taipei. The top two teams from Du is confident his squad will be bad performances on the court, but World No 2 Australia, the run­ “We, as always, will display a ule accordingly. each group will qualify for the Asia ready. they will make their contribution ner­up at the 2018 FIBA Women’s strong mentality and try to live up “Through the joint efforts of all Cup. “Representing your country is the and be away from their families. I World Cup, boasts 2.03­meter­ to expectations. What really mat­ departments in Zhuji and thanks to The CBA on Tuesday announced a highest honor for all the players and hope the fans can understand this — tall center Elizabeth Cambage ters is playing for ourselves.” the cooperation of clubs, coaches 21­man squad for a training camp me,” Du said. “So I’m sure all the they are all fighting for the national and experienced guard Rebecca and players, this CBA season has this weekend, which will be whittled players will give 100 percent and be team.” Allen among its ranks. XINHUA

Digest

ICE HOCKEY pletely separated from the rest of event. Karins said, however, that the young children that it was the right man will become the latest Formula the past several years. Latvia to host worlds society,” Latvian Prime Minister International Ice Hockey Federation thing for him to do took some work. 1 driver to migrate to IndyCar. The report also touched on the without spectators Krisjanis Karins told local television. will pay the “lion’s share” of the costs “Initially they did not want me to effectiveness of masks as part of the Aigars Kalvitis, president of the for the championship, which will race anymore and they told me to do AMERICAN FOOTBALL league’s health and safety protocols. Latvia on Wednesday pledged to Latvian Hockey Federation, said that take place from May 21 to June 6. every other job you can imagine — “One of the side benefits is we had host an “epidemiologically safe” men’s Concussions down as if the epidemiological situation in tennis player, artist, engineer, cook, masks limit flu cases almost no influenza cases this year,” ice hockey world championship this the eastern European country has MOTOR SPORTS you name it,” Grosjean said. “But I said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief year, after governing body the IIHF improved sufficiently by May, then Horror­crash survivor explained to them that I was the dad The NFL reported on Wednesday medical officer. awarded the country’s capital city Riga organizers would be ready to arrange that I was because I had racing and that concussions were down about 5 Yastremska, who has denied using the rights to stage the tournament. ticket sales within the space of three Grosjean joins IndyCar that was a big, big part of my life and percent in 2020. performance enhancers or prohibit­ “This will be a championship days to allow spectators into arenas. Romain Grosjean never doubted it made me happy.” This is the third consecutive year ed substances, now must await the without spectators, epidemiological­ Latvia’s government on Wednes­ he’d race again after escaping a fiery Grosjean on Wednesday was in which the league has had a reduc­ final resolution of her case. ly safe and held in a bubble where day approved an additional 3 mil­ crash in Bahrain with serious burns named the new driver at Dale Coyne tion in concussions, with the 2020 the players and staff will be com­ lion euros ($3.6 million) for the to his hands. Convincing his three Racing for 2021, where the French­ figures nearly 25 percent down from XINHUA — AGENCIES

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