Yao Ming spearheads Chinese team to Athens Olympics
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-07-05 15:53

Houston Rockets' center Yao Ming will spearhead Chinese men's basketball team to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, according to officials of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in Beijing on Sunday.

According to CBA officials, the Chinese team to the Athens Olympics includes 12 players, they are Yao Ming, Liu Wei, Zhu Fangyu, Du Feng, Guo Shiqiang, Yi Jianlian, Li Nan, Chen Ke, Zhang Jingsong, Mo ke, Menk Bateer and Zhang Yunsong.

The 15-player Chinese selection team has just ended its training camp in Dallas. They played three matches against the Dallas Mavericks summer league team. The Chinese team won the first match thanks to Yao Ming's double-double but lost the following two as Yao Ming sat out due to injury.

The Chinese team will also play a four-nation tournament back in Beijing later in July to wrap up its preparation for the Olympics.