On June 24th, the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s Asian Cup kicked off in Shenzhen, with the Chinese Women’s Basketball team facing Indonesia in their first group match.
The FIBA U18 Women’s Asian Cup is a biennial event for under-18 women basketball players in Asia. As the host this year, China’s U18 team is in Group B alongside Japan, New Zealand, and Indonesia. Group A consists of defending champions Australia, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and Malaysia. The top two teams from each group advance directly to the semifinals, while the third and fourth-placed teams compete in crossover matches for the remaining two spots. The top four teams from this tournament will qualify for the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup.
The Chinese U18 team has taken this competition seriously, starting training camp in March and participating in warm-up games. With a solid roster blend, China has historically performed impressively in the U18 Asian Cup, winning five championships and one runner-up finish, except for last year when they lost to Australia in the final. Coach Wang Guizhi has expressed the team’s determination to win every game.
The U18 squad includes Zheng Xinxu, Wang Jiayi, Xu Fengwei, Wang Jiaxin, Li Yuxuan, Hu Yifan, Zhang Ziyue, Xu Peilin, Chen Jing, Sun Kaiwen, Zhang Yifan, and the towering Zhang Ziyu, who stands over 2.20 meters tall and has attracted significant attention. The team has tailored special training for her, and Zhang herself is eager to showcase her skills, especially with hopes of dunking at the Asian Cup.
Eleven players on the Chinese U18 team lack experience in continental competitions, making this an important learning opportunity for them. The tournament schedule is intense, with three group games in three days, followed by elimination matches after a day of rest. The final will take place on June 30th, concluding the week-long event.
Indonesia’s women’s team is not considered a strong opponent and did not pose a significant threat in their previous encounter at the 2022 Asian Cup, where China won 91-30. This time, China’s goal remains the same – securing victory – with the only uncertainty possibly being the margin of their win.
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