Shao back to her roots to spice up Sichuan's season

Team China captain Shao Ting is endeavoring to keep expectations in check after enjoying a flying start to her second stint at Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) side Sichuan.

"This is more about a challenge, but I'm honored and willing to face it," the 30-year-old, who returned to Sichuan from league powerhouse Beijing, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Shao was trained under a program organized by the Sichuan Provincial Sports Administration and Beijing Normal University.

Before her switch to Sichuan in July, Shao had played for Beijing since 2013, helping the team win three straight WCBA titles.

This followed a stellar university career which produced five China University Basketball Association (CUBA) titles and three China University Basketball Super League (CUBS) crowns.

"My teammates in Sichuan are quite energetic. Developing together with them and offering them some advice is also a process of self-improvement for me," said Shao, who was not the only new arrival at Sichuan during the offseason.

The club also acquired Shao's fellow Team China international Gao Song, and players such as Zhang Wanglai and Huang Ping-Jen; Pan Wei, formerly of Guangdong, has been installed as head coach.

Sichuan has a 5-2 win-loss record, including a stunning win over the mighty Xinjiang in the season opener, to rank seventh in the current campaign.

"This is a good start. But we are a new team and just trained together one month before the season began. Despite some wins, we can still see some problems during this process," said Shao.

"We talk a lot during training sessions to learn more and compensate for each other and build toward the team's overall improvement."

However, playing with such a young roster at Sichuan, Shao is keen to keep everyone's feet on the ground.

"I hope to help my teammates progress without thinking too much about the target," she added.

"I think we should better our 12th-place finish last season. We hope to build chemistry game by game to develop into a more mature team."

The 2020-21 WCBA campaign tipped off on Oct 1, following a nine-month hiatus after last season's remaining matches were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Everyone is really thankful about the league's resumption, and we cherish this opportunity a lot," said Shao, who added games feel fiercer than before－a consequence, she reckons, of everyone's thorough preparations for the restart.

"Without foreign players here this year, domestic players are getting more chances to play, especially youngsters."

As for the national side, Shao enjoyed a successful Olympic qualifying tournament in February, when Team China booked a ticket to next summer's Tokyo Games with victory in all three of its games－including a morale-boosting victory over European champion Spain.

That result took on a greater significance as China was battling the COVID-19 outbreak at the time.

"I will never forget it in my life," Shao said.

"At such a difficult period, we stepped up to overcome those opponents, which not only encouraged our fans back home, but also boosted our own confidence, making us realize that with hard work and dedication, we still have great potential.

"If we can overcome this, what can't we overcome?"

Shao acknowledged that it was unfortunate the team lost some of that momentum due to the postponement of the Tokyo Games, which were originally slated to begin this July. Now, Team China's preparations for the Olympics are shrouded in uncertainty.

"Without international matches, we don't know how the other teams are doing," said Shao. "So we have to focus on ourselves and solve problems on our own. If we can manage this, no matter who we face at the Olympic Games, we can handle it correctly."

Shao competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and considers her biggest change over that four-year span to be a switch of mentality.

"I was thrilled about making my Olympic debut. Actually I felt a bit nervous at the start, as it is the highest-level playing field for athletes across the globe. I just focused on enjoying the process and showing my character," she explained.

"But next year, as a veteran and team captain, I have to shoulder more responsibilities. I need to play well on my own, while also helping those young players better fit into the Games."

Xinhua