China names 14-man basketball squad for Asia Cup, Olympic qualifiers

CGTN

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L-R: Zhou Qi, Ren Junfei and Zhao Jiwei of the Chinese men's national basketball team. /CFP

A 14-player squad was named by the Chinese men's national basketball team on Sunday to attend the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in the Philippines and the Tokyo Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Canada.

The full list goes as the following:

Zhou Peng, Ren Junfei, Hu Mingxuan and Xujie (Guangdong Southern Tigers)

Zhang Zhenlin and Zhao Jiwei (Liaoning Flying Leopards)

Lu Wenbo and Wu Qian (Zhejiang Golden Bulls)

Zhou Qi (Xinjiang Flying Tigers)

Liu Chuanxing (Qingdao Eagles)

Shen Zijie (Shenzhen Aviators)

Zhu Mingzhen (Guangzhou Loong Lions)

Zeng Fanbo (Beijing Ducks)

Zhao Yanhao (Zhejiang Lions)

Wu Qian of the Zhejiang Golden Bulls looks on in Game 2 of the CBA Semifinals against the Liaoning Flying Leopards in Zhuji, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 23, 2021. /CFP

Zhou Qi will first take treatment to fix the retinal break in his left eye before joining his teammates in the Philippines. He, Zhao Jiwei and Ren Junfei are the team's only three players who appeared in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China in 2019. That's also the last international event the Chinese national team participated in before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The Asia Cup qualifiers will happen between June 16 and 20 and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament June 30 and July 1. Both events only allow 12-player roster for the attending team so two more will be removed from the above list.

Players are departing on Sunday after only 20 days of training together. Though experienced veterans like Yi Jianlian, Guo Ailun and Wang Zhelin missed the list, Zhou Qi, Liu Chaunxing and Shen Zijie can make balanced big man combinations with complementary skills and styles. However, there may be potential risk in the wing and perimeter positions. Zhu Mingzhen, Zhang Zhenlin, Zeng Fanbo and Xu Jie do not have much experience playing against other national teams. Zhao Jiwei, Zhou Peng and Ren Junfei will need to carry more as reliable veterans of the team.

Zhou Peng (#11) of the Guangdong Southern Tigers shoots in Game 1 of the CBA Finals against the Liaoning Flying Leopards in Zhuji, April 27, 2021. /CFP

China will face Japan and Chinese Taipei in the Asia Cup qualifiers. Chinese Taipei is hardly any threat and Japan will include their two NBA players - Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe - in the roster but reportedly won't send them to any of the games.

After that, China will challenge Canada and Greece for an Olympic berth. Greece have been a traditionally strong team in FIBA competitions while Canada recruited 14 NBA players for the Olympic qualifying tournament.