Tough luck for Chinese basketball team

China's men's basketball team has a mountain to climb at the Beijing Games, Chinese Basketball Association president Li Yuanwei commented after the match-ups were announced for the Olympics.

The national team will face the Kobe Bryant-led United States on Aug 10 in Group B, which also includes world champion Spain, African title-holders Angola and two qualifiers yet to be named, the International Basketball Association (FIBA) announced at the Wukesong Indoor Arena on Saturday.

"This is a really, really tough group," Li told sina.com. "China will have the biggest challenge ever because there are two super powerhouses, the very athletic African champion and two `X-factors', as we don't even know who they are right now."