Hangzhou, 9 Sep (ZXS) -- The five-a-side basketball competition of the Hangzhou Asian Games began on 27 September. The defending champion Chinese men's basketball team faced the Mongolian men's basketball team in Group B of the men's preliminary round, which was the debut of the Chinese men's basketball team at the Asian Games and the first major appearance of the Chinese team after the men's basketball World Cup. In the end, the Chinese men's basketball team defeated Mongolia 26-89 to win for the first time.
On the evening of September 9, the match between the Chinese team and the Mongolian team in the preliminary round of the 26th Asian Games in Hangzhou was held in the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, and the Chinese team (Bai) won 19-89. Photo by China News Agency reporter Lu Bo
A total of 16 teams participated in the five-a-side basketball competition of the Hangzhou Asian Games, divided into four groups, each group of 4 teams, a single round-robin tournament within the group, the first team in the group directly advanced to the quarterfinals, and the second and third places in each group A total of 8 teams will advance to the quarterfinals through the qualification round.
The Chinese men's basketball team is in Group B with Mongolia, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong. Previously, Chinese men's basketball coach Jordjevic said that the goal of the Chinese men's basketball team in the Asian Games was to win the gold medal.
At the beginning of the game, the Chinese team did not have a clear advantage. Zhao Rui scored the first goal of the Chinese men's basketball team in this Asian Games, but in the subsequent game, the Chinese men's basketball team was not efficient in attack, and the score was glued. At the end of the first quarter, the Chinese men's basketball team led by only one point 20-19. In the second quarter of the game, the Chinese men's basketball team increased its intensity on the defensive end, and the offensive end played its physical advantage to score continuously under the basket, opening the score 1-24 in a single quarter. At the end of the first half, China led 9-44.
The Chinese team gradually gained momentum, and the gap between the two teams continued to widen, and the Chinese men's basketball team finally defeated its opponent by 39 points and won its first victory at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
After the game, coach Jordjevic once again stressed that the goal of the Chinese men's basketball team in the Asian Games is to win gold. At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the Chinese men's basketball team defeated Iran in the final to regain the Asian Games championship after eight years. Hu Jinqiu, Wang Zhelin, Zhang Zhenlin and other men's basketball players said in interviews after the game that they hoped to win the championship again and complete the title defense.
They also mentioned that to achieve this goal, you need to give it your all, but also focus on the present and play every game well.
"I believe that for the Chinese men's basketball team, participating in the Asian Games in Hangzhou is very special, and I often tell them that being able to play for the fans who support you and fight with the fans is the most wonderful thing in your sports career." Giordjevic lamented, but he also said that the most important thing by far is to prepare for the next game.
"We need to be ready for the next game against Chinese Taipei and after this game we will be clear about the next matches. We will continue to watch the opponent's game and try to be prepared against them. We all want to win this gold medal and we will work hard day in and day out. Djordjevich said.
In the preliminary stage, the Chinese men's basketball team will face Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong on the 28th and 30th respectively. (End)