AUS/CHN - Boomers announce new series with China

MELBOURNE (FIBA Oceania Championship) - Australia have announced they will play a pair of friendlies against China at the end of the month as they continue to build towards their crucial showdowns with New Zealand for a place at the 2012 London Olympics.

Australia will take on China in Perth on 24 June and then again in Singapore on 26 June following a five-day training camp in Perth.

The two-game series, branded the YouYi (Friendly) Games, is to become an annual event between the two teams.

“At the end of the camp, we are excited to play two games against China,” said Boomers coach Brett Brown.

“We have always enjoyed a competitive, respectful relationship with China and we are anxious to continue this in our two-game series."

Australia are working towards September's FIBA Oceania Championship games against New Zealand with automatic qualification for the London Olympics at stake.

Brown has called up 16 players for the Perth training camp, led by David Barlow and Aron Baynes (pictured), veterans of the 2010 FIBA World Championship campaign.

Australia 16-man squad: Adam Gibson (Gold Coast Blaze), Damian Martin (Perth Wildcats), Jason Cadee (Gold Coast Blaze), Ben Madgen (Sydney Kings), Clint Steindl (St Marys), Daniel Dillon (Cairns Taipans), Peter Crawford (Townsville Crocodiles), David Barlow (CAI Zaragoza Spain), Daniel Kickert (PGE Turow), Jesse Wagstaff (Perth Wildcats), Luke Nevill (Triumph Lyubertsy), Stephen Weigh (Adelaide 36’ers), Julian Khazzouh (Sydney Kings), Matt Knight (Perth Wildcats), Anatoly Bose (Nicholls State University), Aron Baynes (EWE Basket Oldenburg).

FIBA