NOVEMBER 12, 20 DAILY PAGE 6 Tall order for host hoopsters

WITHOUT ITS NBA STARS, CHINA FACING A TOUGH STRUGGLE RETAINING ITS CROWN

By CHEN XIANGFENG PAST RECORD CHINA DAILY >> ASIAN GAMES MEN — Coming into the Guangzhou Asian Games with- 2006 Gold out NBA players and 2002 Silver and burdened by the 1998 Gold shame of an ugly melee with the 1994 Gold Brazil team, China men’s basket- 1990 Gold ball side will find it difficult to 1986 Gold dominate its regional foes. 1982 Silver Led by former NBA player 1978 Gold Zhizhi and Yi, China won the most recent Asian Games 1974 Bronze title in Doha four years ago, but has struggled in continental WOMEN competitions of late: highlighted 2006 Gold by a humiliating final loss to 2002 Gold Iran at last year’s Asian Cham- 1998 Silver pionships. 1994 Bronze Rising nations like Iran, Jordan 1990 Silver and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have made rapid progress over 1986 Gold the past few years and the gap 1982 Gold is closing — particularly when 1978 Silver China plays without NBA all-star 1974 Bronze Yao. Head coach Bob Donewald team was once one of the world’s Jr, who was fined and warned powerhouses and fi nished fourth by the Chinese Basketball Asso- at the 2008 Beijing Olympic ciation aft er his role in the brawl Games. between China and Brazil during But due to the waning physical last month’s friendly, is aware condition of the team’s veterans of the significance of lifting the and a lack of emerging stars, the trophy on home soil to boost side suff ered a huge blow at last the morale of a much-weakened month’s World Championships, China team. finishing in a worst-ever 13th Sharpshooter is place. just back from an injury, which Although China has been a forced him to miss the Worlds, traditionally dominant force in while on-court leader Wang is continental tournaments, includ- 33 years old and no longer as ing winning the titles at the past competitive or athletic as four two Asian Games, local fans are years ago. concerned the team may not be The veterans will seek help able to hold off challenges from from former Los Angeles neighboring rivals Japan and the Laker , point guard Liu ROK, which both advanced to Wei and sharpshooter Wang the fi nal 12 at last month’s World Shipeng. Championship. “We have some strong oppo- Head coach Sun Fengwu has nents at the Asian Games,” said decided to call up a number of Donewald. “Iran is the Asian promising young guns for the champion and the trophy is still Asian Games, hoping they will in its hands. provide more energy and enthu- “Th e ROK is a strong team and siasm. it will be very competitive for the “We used a number of veter- championship. Also, Jordan has ans at the World Championship played high-level basketball over and the result was not so good. the past few years. Relying on old players is not in “It’s going to be a tough tour- PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY accordance to the international nament for us. It will be high- The Chinese men’s basketball team will face an uphill battle to win the gold medal in Guangzhou. tendency,” said Sun, whose team level and highly competitive. But won four straight warm-up I’m looking forward to a great appointing World Championship ment under the new coach at the other boys to help the team in games leading into the Asiad. event.” in September. Worlds in Turkey and only man- Guangzhou,” said Donewald. “I made some changes in the Donewald also urged his squad China, which finished eighth aged to dig out one tough win, over recent warm-ups and will give to fi ll the void left by Yi and Yao at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, did African minnow Cote d’Ivoire. Slumping women more chances to the young and get back on track aft er a dis- not show any signs of improve- “Without Yi and Yao, we need China women’s basketball players.”