Arriving in Doha on Tuesday afternoon, the Chinese cagers had full confidence that they would win the men's basketball gold medal at the upcoming Doha Asian Games.

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"Yes, Yao Ming is not here, Du Feng (The Sixth Man of China) is missing with injury, Li Nan is not in full strength, but we've had enough (players)," said Jonas Kazlauskas, head coach of the reigning Asian Champion.

"The most difficult opponents for us will be Lebanon, which finished second at the Asian Championship, and South Korea, and Qatar is also a strong team," Jonas added.

Chinese rising star Yi Jianlian, who has announced for next year's NBA draft, will make his debut at the quadrennial tournament.

"I am very confident that we can win at Doha," said the 2.12-meter power forward. "The Asian Games is a very big event and it's very important for me."

Yi, 19, has been considered as "the next Yao Ming" by Chinese media for a couple of years. Following a lackluster performance at the World Championship this fall, the Guangdong native has a lot to prove at the Asian Games before heading to NBA.

"I am not thinking too much about the draft, now I am focusing on helping China win the gold at Doha," Yi said.

Former NBA player Wang Zhizhi, who failed to fulfill his national duty at the last Asian Games in Busan four years ago, was also thirsty for the gold.

"Our aim is to win, it will be a good chance for us to prove ourselves," said the 2.16-meter center/forward.

As China will be playing without NBA all-star center Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, Wang and Yi are expected to dominate the paint against their Asian opponents.

"Yi is in better form than at the World Championship, and he works very hard," Jonas said. "Wang got a small injury in our last training, but it will not be a problem."

Tang Zhengdong, a monster in the Chinese squad with a height of 2.13 meters and a weight of 110 kilograms, is expected to be a strong backup for Wang and Yi.

"We are here for the gold," Tang said. "And I will do my best when I get the chance to play."