FIBA youth program boosts China's grassroots game

Basketball's international governing body FIBA has launched a tailor-made youth training program for China that places coaching education and junior skills development at its core.

With hoops legends Yao Ming and Zheng Haixia in attendance, the China Youth Training program was unveiled at FIBA's China office in Beijing on Tuesday.

The initiative, featuring training courses for coaches, a skills challenge series for junior players and a certificate system, will be promoted at training facilities and youth clubs across the country.

"China is an important part of the basketball community and youth development plays a fundamental role in improving the sport in your great country,"FIBA secretary-general Andreas Zagklis said in a video message played at Tuesday's ceremony.

"FIBA is happy and willing to bring international resources－such as advanced training content from the World Association of Basketball Coaches－to China, and to work with Chinese authorities, federations, universities, and agencies to create a high-level basketball youth training platform and provide solutions to millions of young Chinese players and fans, giving them a ladder to the realm of their beloved sport."

As a measurable way to assess player development at junior level, the skills challenge series should encourage more kids to take to the court, according to FIBA China managing director Kelvin Fang.

"Not every child has the chance to play in an official junior game at every camp, but we have to figure out a way for them to still be able to compete against each other and learn from the experience," said Fang.

"This is why we have introduced the challenge, to give each child equal access to demonstrate their progress and help coaches evaluate their physical strength, skill development and sportsmanship.

"Kids who pass the challenge will receive FIBA-approved certificates as a reward. Coaches will also be certified as proof of their quality."

Former NBA All-Star Yao, now the president of the Chinese Basketball Association, attended Tuesday's ceremony along with Zheng, the first Chinese to ever play in the WNBA and a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Zheng, who is an ambassador for the youth program, joked that she is envious of the benefits the initiative will deliver for youngsters.

"You guys can't imagine how poorly I started my basketball training back in the day, when I could hardly find a pair of comfortable shoes to fit my feet," said Zheng, a 2.06-meter-tall center on China's silver-winning women's team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

"With the whole system of the curriculum and certificates now available at junior level, I believe boys and girls now stand a much greater chance than I had to become international stars in the game," said the 54-year-old, who played one season in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks before retiring due to injury in 1998.

Funded by FIBA's Chinese partner Beijing Enterprises Group, the FIBA BG Basketball Academy will continue to host coach training clinics and junior camps under the new program. The academy has trained 800 Chinese coaches at mini level for children aged 5 to 12 since opening in July 2018.