On August 23, Beijing time, the Chinese men's basketball team embarked on a journey to Manila. Behind this trip, behind every decision is a persistent pursuit of victory.
The flight to Manila was scheduled to depart at 2 p.m., but bad weather delayed the trip until 16:30. Despite the clear weather, flight support was hampered, and such delays undoubtedly added a lot of uncertainty to the men's basketball team. But it was in this situation that the Chinese crew made a brave decision in the cabin.
Upon arrival in the Philippines, they decided not to take any extra breaks and instead headed straight to the gymnasium in Manila to drill down into the 11 p.m. training session.
This spirit is largely inspired by Yao Ming, the president of the basketball association and a former NBA superstar. Dayao not only wears many hats, but also injects the belief of "winning" into this team. His expectations and orders are clear: the World Cup Olympic ticket must not be lost.
After the team landed, everyone realized the urgency of time, and they didn't even have time to eat. But that's not a problem, because their goal is to train. This serious and pragmatic attitude was gradually cultivated under the influence of Yao Ming.
However, the more exciting news is that Yao Ming, who arrived before the men's basketball team, has received a piece of celebratory news: he has been elected as a member of the FIBA Central Bureau. This not only means that he is an outstanding representative of Chinese and even Asian basketball, but more importantly, he now has a higher status in the international basketball world, and is expected to win more fair referee penalties for the Chinese team in the game.
Although Yao's new status has given the Chinese team more advantages, the team still dare not let up. Because they know that no matter how many external factors, the final victory or defeat is in their own hands. If they don't get the results they want in this World Cup, there could be a big team change. From Zhou Qi to the other team members, no one is immune.
Before this trip, the men's basketball team faced not only a game, but also a challenge to themselves. After the storm, what we expect them to see on the other side is a wider blue sky.