China - China turns down Taiwan basketball team
The Chinese Basketball Association has turned down the bid of a Taiwan club to play in the mainland's professional league, a Taiwanese coach said Monday at the Asian Games. "One of our clubs applied to join the CBA, but the application has been refused and we wait for another chance," Zhang Xuelei, coach of the Taiwan men's basketball team said.
From timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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The Chinese Basketball Association has turned down the bid of a Taiwan club to play in the mainland's professional league, a Taiwanese coach said Monday at the Asian Games.
"One of our clubs applied to join the CBA, but the application has been refused and we wait for another chance," Zhang Xuelei, coach of the Taiwan men's basketball team said.
The Taiwan Beer side, island championship winners in 2006-7 and 2007-8 and sponsored by state-owned Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp, had hoped to join the mainland league as ties between China and Taiwan have improved recently, Taiwan's United Evening News reported earlier this month.
In recent years several top Taiwanese players have been lured to Chinese teams by large financial offers, and Taiwan Beer's head coach Richard Yan has said that his team should instead directly tap into the mainland's vast market.
Zhang, however, said that Taiwan pro teams should not join the mainland league as it would further weaken the island's circuit.
"Generally speaking, its good for the players to play in the CBA, but it's bad for the development of Taipei basketball," Zhang said.
Currently three Taiwanese players play in China's pro league, including Taiwan national team player Lin Chin Chieh.
"The tough competition (in China) really gives me great experience, especially in competitions of strength," Lin said.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war but Beijing still considers the island part of its territory.
However, ties have improved markedly since Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008 on a China-friendly platform, and Taiwan Beer, launched in China last year following a decade-long effort to win approval, is a top sponsor at the Asiad.