Yao's plan shows progress

China's young hoops hopefuls got a little taste of the big time during the Chinese Basketball Association's All-Star Weekend in Qingdao.

Children from Mengjiazhuang Primary School in Hebei province and the Laoshan district of Qingdao won waves of applause as they displayed their skills during an exhibition game designed to showcase the progress made by the CBA's mini-basketball development plan, the brainchild of CBA chairman Yao Ming.

Three of the league's big-hearted All-Stars - Shandong's Tao Hanlin, Tianjin's Shi Deshuai and Zhejiang's Wu Qian - lent a helping hand, overseeing instruction in dribbling, passing and shooting for the pupils before the game.