Coach Li Nan assures return of Zhou Qi, Ding Yanyuhang

BEIJING -- Chinese men's basketball national team head coach Li Nan assured former NBA players Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang would join the team on time when the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced a 20-member squad for the 2019 FIBA World Cup on Monday.

"Zhou and Ding will return on time. They didn't play in the CBA league, but they have personal trainings in U.S. to keep their conditions ready for the call-up," Li said. "They will come back by the end of May, if everything goes well."

Li said the players from Guangdong and Xinjiang, the finalists of this season's CBA finals, will take a few days off before joining in the team.

"Most of the players were either in the national teams last year or in the latest qualifiers for World Cup this year. These players have proven their abilities and showed their willingness to play for the country," Li added.

Li recruited 20-year-old Zhang Zhenlin from Tulane University for the first time. Zhang, 2.08-meter high, won the U.S. national title twice with La Lumiere High School.

"Zhang played in the U.S. in the past a few years. His performance in the NCAA this season impressed me a lot. He's a very talented player," Li said. "I don't know much about him, but I want to give him a chance to show his abilities. This is the national team, and I'm not thinking only today."

The training camp will start from May 15.