Returning to the pinnacle of Asia, the Chinese women's basketball team still has more dreams
2023-07-06
This is the moment when dreams come true - in the 2023 Women's Basketball Asian Cup final held on July 2, China defeated defending champion Japan 73-71, and after 12 years, they once again won the trophy and returned to the pinnacle of Asia. From the runner up of the World Cup a year ago to the current champion of the Asian Cup, the Chinese women's basketball team has gone through dormancy and perseverance, and is gradually climbing to the peak. From this year's Hangzhou Asian Games to next year's Paris Olympics, there are more goals and dreams waiting for Chinese women's basketball girls to conquer and achieve. After winning the Asian championship after four fierce battles, Chinese women's basketball player Han Xu said it felt like a dream. Since 2011, the Chinese women's basketball team has been 12 years away from the Asian champions. And all five Asian Cup laurels here were won by the Japanese team. In both 2019 and 2021 competitions, the Chinese women's basketball team lost to the Japanese team in the finals. The old opponent had another conversation, and the final started with sparks flying all over. In the first game, the two teams alternated their lead six times and drew 17. At the beginning of the second quarter, Han Xu scored 7 consecutive points to help the team take the lead. But the Japanese team later took advantage of the frequent mistakes made by the Chinese team and launched an 18-2 attack wave, gaining a 9-point lead in the half time. Chinese player Li Meng stated after the game that the Japanese team's football style is characterized by "small, fast, and agile", with fast speed on the field, which puts a lot of pressure on the Chinese team's defense. However, the Chinese team holds a mentality of competing for the championship and opponents, and resolutely implements the coach's deployment. In the second half of the game, the Chinese team changed and enriched their offensive tactics. At a critical moment, more players stepped forward. While Han Xu played a key role in both attack and defense, Li Meng and Wang Siyu and other players frequently attacked the Japanese defense line through three points and breakthroughs. In the final game, the situation remained stagnant. The Chinese team, behind at 54:60, scored 12 consecutive points with a three pointer and free throw, while the Japanese team then stubbornly equalized the score. Until the end of the game, the Chinese women's basketball team took advantage of their opponents' impatient mistakes and fouls to establish a leading advantage, and ultimately won the trophy amidst the cheers of the entire audience. In the final, three members of the Chinese team scored double. Han Xu contributed the highest 26 points and 10 rebounds of the game, and was elected as the Most Valuable Player; Wang Siyu had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; Li Meng scored 17 points and 6 assists, and together with Han Xu, he was nominated for the best lineup in the competition. Zheng Wei, the head coach of the Chinese team, stated after the game that Chinese players never gave up during the game and focused on handling every attack and defense until they defeated their opponents. She bluntly stated that winning the Asia Cup, which has been away for 12 years, is very difficult. The spirit of overcoming difficulties shines the most in the women's basketball Asian Cup held in Sydney, Australia. A year ago, it was here that the Chinese women's basketball team returned to the top four of the World Series and won the runner up of the Women's Basketball World Cup. Returning to Fudi as the world runner up, the Asian Cup trip of the Chinese women's basketball team is not as easy as people imagine. Zheng Wei said that the preparation of the Chinese team was very difficult, with problems such as injuries and uneven personnel. It was only after reaching the competition zone that they gradually got back on track. In this Asian Cup, Li Yueru and Huang Sijing were absent due to injuries, which made the Chinese team lose two top players in terms of internal strength and organization. Captain Yang Li
Edit:XiaoWanNing Responsible editor:YingLing
Source:People's Daily
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