One day before the 26th Asian Women's Basketball Championship kicks off here, the Chinese cagers are gearing up to grasp the only ticket for the 2016 Olympic Games as they will manage to conquer two "mountains", South Korea and Japan.
During the past 25 editions, the Chinese have claimed the titles 11 times, just one shy of their South Korean peers, with the other two gone to Japan.
On the 12-player list released by the Chinese basketball's governing body last Thursday, Zhang Fan, born in 1984, Ji Yanyan and Huang Hongpin, both born in 1985, are the three most sophisticated in the squad, and will be of great help in terms of their rich experience in major tournaments.
Shao Ting, who averaged 12.3 points in last year's World Championships, has been regarded as a "world-class player" in the future by head coach Tom Maher. Shao will partner with two "post-90" players, Gao Song and Lu Wen, to contribute on the offensive end.
Undoubtedly, Wu Di is a big surprise on the list. Having no experience in professional league, Wu impressed Maher through her performance on the training ground, and won the nod from the coach. To learn from others and accumulate experience for future development is her target in Wuhan.
With a 12-game winning streak in warm-up matches held in China, the Chinese players still face an uphill challenge for Rio Olympics ticket.
The challenge from South Korea is much more than what their trophies show. They play in a similar style like their men peers, with fast speed and good shooting performance.
Two years ago, China lost to South Korea twice in the tournament. In the opening match, they failed to steal the ball from their opponents, only to suffer a buzzer beater, which clearly manifested the lack of experience of the Chinese young players.
Led by 1.92-meter center Tokashiki Ramu, Japan won the title of last edition. Her 12 points in the last period gave the Chinese a big hit in the round-robin first stage. Tall, fast, Ramu earned a huge advantage in the post. Her 20 points and 18 rebounds in the final awarded Japan another title in the tournament after 43 years.
The trio of China, South Korea and Japan will meet each other in the first stage, which will be a good opportunity for the Chinese to know about their rivals.
Unsurprisingly, the three teams are expected to be among top four. And for the hosts, the real challenge will start from the semifinals.
