Gong rings the changes

Taking charge of China's women's basketball team again after 20 years, Gong Luming is clearly aware of the challenges that lie ahead. After a lackluster ninth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the team is targeting the defense of its title at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup in Shenzhen, Guangdong province next month.

A win will not be taken for granted, as the team is in the midst of a generational shift ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the Asia Cup will take place only three months after the new-look team has taken shape. But Gong is not going down without a fight.

"Winning the title is our only goal in Asia," the 67-year-old told Xinhua. "We will take every game and the whole process seriously. Hopefully, our players can carry forward the fighting spirit of the Chinese women's basketball team, and strive to showcase their level in every game."

Fully involved

As China enters the Women's Asia Cup — being held on home soil — as the defending champion, Gong stressed a step-by-step approach toward the biennial tournament.

"The first step is to do well in the group stage, and then we will focus on the semifinals and final. Hopefully we can stay on until the end," said Gong, who was appointed head coach in February, after having previously held the role between 1999 and 2005.

"We will take every game seriously, and also learn to summarize meticulously. We hope to really play every game well, carry forward the team's glorious tradition, as well as the spirit of daring to fight, not fearing strong opponents and never giving up," he added.

Prior to training in Beijing, the team had conducted a four-week training camp in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, aiming to help players restore their physical fitness after their league duties and formalize initial techniques and tactics.

During this period, Gong proposed a plan in which each player is required to make around 10,000 shots. He explained that the proposal is mainly in line with the current development trend of basketball.

"Whether it is in the men's domestic league or the women's one, overseas players dominate shooting attempts, while domestic players have fewer shots and record lower shooting percentages. It will affect the overall development of our players," said Gong. He added that in future training, apart from a certain number of shots, the quality will be gradually strengthened, and higher requirements will be put forward in combination with factors such as athletes' skills and positions.

The team has plans to participate in six warm-up matches ahead of the Asia Cup, aiming to test its recent training performances, trial different lineups and test the condition of the players.

"We will bring 15 or 16 players to these warm-up matches, and then select our Asia Cup squad consisting of players in the best form, with the strongest team spirit and the best execution ability," Gong noted.

Patience required

Gong's emphasis on a smooth transition has been reflected in the team's first training camp lineup during his reign, featuring a mix of established figures including Yang Liwei and Huang Sijing, and young prospects such as Zhang Ziyu. Overseas-based players Li Yueru and Deng Yuting are also on the list.

Gong said that the principle of combining veteran, mid-career and younger players was established at the very beginning of the team building.

"Many veteran players are already coaches, and their understanding of the game is more accurate than the younger athletes. The communication between athletes is also more direct and easier to accept," he remarked.

For Gong, young players have decent individual abilities, but their biggest problem is a lack of overall tactical nous.

"Basketball is a team sport that requires mutual connection and assistance," he said. "It is not about one person solving problems. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly talk and practice, and combine well."

He said the game of women's basketball is developing rapidly, with increasingly fiercer competition, faster transition speed and more accurate outside shooting. In terms of technique and physical fitness, there is a big gap in China compared with the world's powerhouses.

Gong admitted it poses a "headache-inducing issue" to balance the pursuit of better results and smoothly completing the transition.

"In a team sport, reaching such a tacit understanding (among players) requires adjustment, which takes time," he concluded.

Xinhua