BEIJING: China has announced ambitious goals to further promote and develop basketball in the country following the NBA’s recent successful return – which include prioritising talent, encouraging high‑quality foreign investment and also setting targets for its national teams to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.
In a statement released on Thursday (Dec 4), the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) unveiled a series of guidelines and measures for provinces, municipalities and relevant associations, institutions and enterprises.
Efforts will focus on “improving youth, grassroots, and professional basketball” while “encouraging open competition” and “promoting comprehensive development and pilot reforms”, GASC said, also calling for high-quality foreign investment and overseas leagues and training institutions to establish operations in China.
It also set ambitious targets for Chinese national basketball teams. The men’s team should ensure it qualifies for the 2028 Olympics Games and “features consistently” by 2035, GASC said.
The national women’s team should reach “world-class status” and national squads should “advance to international levels”, it added.
Long-term efforts will also focus on strengthening the youth basketball scene, the agency said.
The number of Chinese youths playing basketball should also be “significantly improved and increased” by 2030, GASC said, adding that Chinese basketball’s global influence should also be greatly enhanced.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-basketball-olympic-ambitions-nba-expansion-5563256
