China coach Jonas Kazlauskas called up youth team center Li
Xiaoxu for the upcoming 2007 Stankovic Continental Cup as regular
starters Yao Ming, Du Feng and Chen Jianghua all set to miss it due
to injury.
The Lithuanian named a 15-strong squad Thursday before the
Chinese basketball national team departs for the tournament, which
is to be held in Guangzhou, south China from July 28 to August
2.
Li was the only new recruiter of the team, while the other 14
all participated in the just concluded National Basketball
Association (NBA) Summer League in the United States.
Former NBA player Wang Zhizhi and Yi Jianlian, who was picked by
Milwaukee Bucks in this year's draft, will lead field for China in
the Stankovic Cup, as the team's soul Yao had announced to skip
this summer's all competitions after injuring his toe with Houston
Rockets.
Yao will soon be back in Shanghai to have his rehabilitation
training before coming to Beijing to join the national team on
August 8, while Chen Jianghua and Du Feng, who got injured during
their stay in the U.S., have not yet decided when to come back.
The 2007 Stankovic Cup has featured 6 teams from all five
continents, with national teams of Slovenia, New Zealand, Venezuela
and Angola, as well as D-League Ambassadors' team, joining the
hosts China in the event.
Following is the 15-man squad of China named by Jonas on
Thursday:
Li Nan, Wang Zhizhi, Mo Ke, Wang Zhongguang, Ding Jinhui, Wang
Shipeng, Zhu Fangyu, Wang Lei, Li Xiaoxu, Zhou Peng, Liu Xiaoyu,
Liu Wei, Zhang Songtao, Yi Jianlian, Sun Yue.
(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2007)