TOULOUSE (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - Chinese head coach Wang Guizhi looks forward to the start of the first U17 FIBA World Championship for Women and there is not much longer left for her to wait as China will be first out on the court in Toulouse on Friday afternoon (15:00 CET) when they face Argentina.

The 50-year-old from Shenyang has expressed her support for establishing this new age group on a global level and can look back on a very successful career coaching youth teams.

Guizhi has been in charge of China's U15, U16, U18 and U19 teams and won several Asian titles. One of her most memorable moments was the bronze medal her team captured at the 2005 U19 FIBA World Championship in Tunisia.

FIBA.com had a chance to talk to her about the value of this new World Championship.

FIBA: FIBA has decided to create this new event for U17 players for boys and girls which will be played every two years. Do you think this was a good decision?
Wang: Yes definitely. This will be a blueprint championship for youth development! Players will be exposed to top level at a younger age. It will be completely different than before. It will be excellent for them and they will improve their skills and basics of the game.

FIBA: You coached the U19 team at the FIBA World Championship in Tunisia in 2005 that won the bronze medal. Do you have any proof that this experience helped the players?
Wang: No question. Seven or eight players from that team played later on the senior national team. And four even made it on the 2008 Chinese Olympic team in Beijing: Bian Lan, Liu Dan, Wei Wei and Yang Banban.

FIBA: How would you characterise the style of play of the team you have here?
Wang: We will be very fast, very skilled and very competitive.

FIBA