Some are company employees, some are students and some streetball fans.

Eight of the Chinese youngsters, who played the exhibition games in Hangzhou, were not professional basketball players and showed SlamBall is where your dreams of "flying" can come true.

"SlamBall does not require players to be of a particular height or build," said Lu Feng from Shanghai. "It's a combination of athleticism, technique, reaction and courage. When you have mastered these elements, you can realize your dream in the sport."

The sport's founder, Mason Gordon, said providing some great examples - like Lu - in the sport was a major part of making it popular in China.

"How do we do that? First, make it available. Second, and maybe most importantly, show them an example. To show them somebody of their size and roughly their build and a similar background, and that their dream can come true in SlamBall."

Michael Sun said organizing some shows was of little use to the sport's sustained development and he hopes more Chinese will rise up and earn the chance to compete in overseas' high-level competitions.

"In China, we are far away from making it professional. The first step is to make it more popular with the young generation and provide a new option in sports.

"We are not coming here to just make a show. We are here to do something useful and substantial."

Chen Xiangfeng

(China Daily 09/09/2012 page8)