Shanghai Sharks captain Zhang Zhaoxu passes fitness test for CBA

SHANGHAI - Shanghai Sharks captain Zhang Zhaoxu has passed the required fitness test and qualified for the remaining games of the 2019-2020 season, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced on Tuesday.

Zhang smoothly finished 23 squats with a weight of 100 kilograms on Monday at the training base of Shanghai Sharks under the supervision of the staff from the CBA.

Zhang got injured in the fitness test before this season started. He fell while squatting and injured his lower back. After being sent to the hospital, he was diagnosed with an acute contusion, which caused the recurrence of his previous injury.

In early January, Shanghai Sharks officially announced that Zhang had recovered from his injuries and returned to training with the team. During the all-star weekend, the CBA board of directors discussed Zhang's fitness test, with a result that eight clubs rejected the proposal to exempt the test or replace squatting with other items.

As captain and center of Shanghai Sharks, Zhang plays an important role in the team, who contributed nine points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks on average last season.