The national basketball team, under the guidance of new head coach Chou Chun-san, is to face China this weekend and continue their traditionally fierce rivalry at the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) East Asia Basketball Championship.
The team leaves tomorrow for Nagano, Japan, where the tournament is set to begin on Saturday, with the hosts in Group A along with South Korea and Macau, while Taiwan face China and Hong Kong in Group B.
In Saturday’s main events, Taiwan’s hoop take on China, while hosts Japan take on South Korea.
The national squads are to be battling to qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup, with the top three teams securing berths in the international competition, which this year is to be hosted by Lebanon from Aug. 8 to Aug. 20.
Head coach Chou is to be looking for leadership from forward Liu Ching, a 26-year-old with six years of professional experience, and team captain Tsai Wen-cheng, a nine-year veteran with the Super Basketball League’s (SBL) Pauian Archiland (formerly known as Pure Youth Construction).
Chou said he would count on Liu’s scoring touch and pace, as well as his inside knowledge of the opposition.
Liu last year signed to play with China’s Zhejiang Lions, following four years of stellar performance as a member of the SBL’s Taiwan Beer.
Members of the national squad said Liu would provide key insight on their opponents, as about half of the Chinese team come from the Zhejiang Lions.
Centers Quincy Davis — a US-born naturalized Republic of China citizen — and Wu Ta-hao have been tasked with anchoring Taiwan’s defense.
Davis and Wu were Pauian Archiland teammates in last year’s SBL campaign.
“It will be a tough match, as China has youth and size advantages, which we will need to counter in our game strategy,” Chou said, adding that the Chinese national squad averages 18.8 years old and 199cm in height.
China’s team is composed of their core players from last year’s FIBA Asia U18 Championship, most of whom signed with the Zhejiang Lions, Chou said, adding that Chinese authorities have focused on youth for their national squad development.
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