Where is the road? The road is at your feet - an interview with men's basketball center Zhou Qi

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 28 Title: Where is the road? The road is at your feet - an interview with men's basketball center Zhou Qi

Xinhua News Agency reporters Lin Deren, Wang Jingyu and Yue Dongxing

In the new season, Chinese men's basketball center Zhou Qi has a new role - a member of the Australian Basketball League (NBL) Southeast Melbourne Phoenix team. A few days ago, Zhou Qi, who was in the period of epidemic prevention and quarantine, accepted an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporter through video at the hotel. Facing the future, he is confident and ready to accept a new challenge on a completely new platform.

"The epidemic prevention policy during the isolation period is still relatively strict, and it is not allowed to go out of the room door and is not allowed to open the door." It is currently possible to do some simple freehand strength training in the room. There are definitely some inconveniences during the quarantine period, but in fact, I think the living conditions are very good, and the food, fruits and milk provided by the hotel are very complete. Zhou Qi said.

In September, the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix announced a two-year signing with Zhou Qi, whose owner, Romy Chowdari, said in a statement that bringing Zhou Qi to the Australian Basketball League further enhanced the league and club's international influence.

Although he has played in MLB, the Australian League is still a new environment for Zhou Qi. Speaking about the recognition and impression of this league, Zhou Qi said: "The overall impression of Australian basketball is that the confrontation is very fierce, but from the current point of view, their style has also changed to a certain extent, and now they will play faster. For me, it is to minimize my own disadvantages, to maximize the speed advantage, to adapt to the team's system. ”

The Australian Basketball League has a total of 10 teams in the new season, nine of which are from Australia and one from New Zealand. The Phoenix are part of the new league, which was just formed in 2018 and last season was the team's first season in the league. Phoenix CEO Tommy Greer said that Zhou Qi, who is 2 meters 16 tall, will have technical characteristics that will allow him to help the team to the top of this year's league.

For Zhou Qi, his goal is to try his best to improve himself through training in this league. He said: "I think there will be more opportunities in Australia than in the United States, playing in this league, improving yourself, staying in shape, continuing to improve, it's a really good opportunity. ”

Zhou Qi said that after the end of the quarantine period, he needs to integrate into the team's system as soon as possible and help the team with good and stable play. Melbourne is a city with a considerable number of Chinese, Zhou Qi said, after arriving in Melbourne can also feel the warmth from all aspects, in the place where there are more Chinese, life will be relatively convenient.

This season, another Chinese player Liu Chuanxing also joined the NBL, for the future and Liu Chuanxing possible on-field duels, Zhou Qi said: "We take on our own tasks in each team, you say that the duel is good, or how to do it, in the end it is still their own master, everyone for their own team to win the game." Zhou Qi said that he hopes that more Chinese players can go abroad to experience foreign leagues, which is a very rare opportunity.

Zhou Qi signed a two-year contract with the Phoenix team, and when he joined the team, both the Phoenix team and Zhou Qi expressed their prospects for returning to the US professional basketball team in the future. However, Zhou Qi said that he is not thinking too much about the future at present, and the most important task now is to improve himself and help the Phoenix team get more victories.

"In fact, I value the present more than some dreams of the future, to be realistic, I now hope that I can have a steady improvement, whether it is from the skill or from the level of physical confrontation, at least to have a steady upward state, this is my most important task and goal at the moment." 」 Zhou Qi said.

As one of the main internal players of the Chinese men's basketball team, Zhou Qi's performance in the national team is also the focus of fans' attention. For this, Zhou Qi said: "When I was negotiating a contract with the team, I clearly proposed that once the national team was called up, I had to go back to the national team and play for the country, which I never hesitated, if the national team needed it, I would fly to the place where the national team played for the first time." ”

Zhou Qi revealed that the Phoenix team gave him a lot of support after he joined the team, including visa processing, flight coordination, etc., which also made him feel very warm.

"I'm going to show the best in the new season." Zhou Qi said. (End)