Former champion Xinjiang Flying Tigers quit Chinese Basketball Association

The Xinjiang Flying Tigers, one of the most successful Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) franchises in recent years, has withdrawn from the league, the team announced last Tuesday. It had been scheduled to host the Beijing Ducks in Urumqi on Wednesday, one of 11 remaining games in a CBA season that still has one month to go.

The Flying Tigers, who were 17-11 and in seventh place, have been removed from the league’s official website.

The move was in protest of a decision the league made last month, in which it forbade the Xinjiang club from signing new players for one year due to a “breach of rules” involving roster management. In a statement, the Flying Tigers called the punishment “groundless” and denied any wrongdoing during its 24-year history.

The club also accused the league of being “full of chaos,” and slammed the leadership of CBA head Yáo Míng 姚明.

The February CBA ruling came during an ongoing contract dispute between the team and its star player, center Zhōu Qí 周琦. The Flying Tigers claim an exclusive right to Zhou’s contract, even though Zhou, 27, has not played for the team since 2021.

The fate of the 7-foot-1 national team player — who started his professional career at Xinjiang in 2014, was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round in 2016, and returned for his second stint at the Flying Tigers between 2019 and 2021 —remains undecided.

Zhou had been keen to explore opportunities at another CBA club after his return to China in 2019, but found potential moves blocked by the Flying Tigers. He played last season for the Australian National Basketball League’s South East Melbourne Phoenix, but has since expressed his desire to return to China. The only roadblock has been the Flying Tigers, who are trying to retain Zhou. An internal CBA investigation showed that the club had broken registration rules after attempting to re-sign the star.

According to CNN, the investigation, which Zhou happily cooperated with, has led to a public rift between Zhou and team manager Guo Jian and club president Hou Wei.

“The two chairmen, Guo Jian and Hou Wei, and the management, have bullied me and lied to me for many years. I couldn’t bear it. I still couldn’t decide my own future as an adult in 2023,” Zhou said on Weibo. “I admire the ‘creativity’ of (Xinjiang) regarding the violations. Sadly, it has been unable to turn around on its road of deception. It’s gone further downhill.”

Xinjiang’s recent withdrawal also affects China’s national team. SCMP reports:

Mainland Chinese media reported that the CBA could make an exception to transfer window restrictions to help Zhou get game time before China play in the FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games this year.

Also up in the air are the futures of the rest of the Xinjiang roster, although none of them were named in the latest China squad selected by new head coach Aleksander Dordevic.

Zhou is one of China’s top players and is likely to have his pick of clubs when the registration window for players reopens.

~

11-year-old Patti Zhou makes snowboarding history

China’s Patti Zhou made history by becoming the youngest competitor and medalist on the Dew Tour.

The 11-year-old, who was making her debut at the event at Copper Mountain, secured the silver medal in the halfpipe behind another wunderkind, South Korea’s 14-year-old Gaon Choi.

Zhou’s silver medal-winning second run included a 900 melon, Cab 720 Weddle, frontside 540 melon, and backside 540 Weddle.

“I feel so excited and so thankful to be here,” Zhou said following her remarkable achievement. “I feel like Copper Mountain is my family: they’ve been supporting me ever since I first came here. This pipe is amazing, and the whole entire Dew Tour crew is amazing. I’m speechless.”

The Beijing native, who started snowboarding at the age of two, moved with her family to Colorado to focus on her snowboarding.

A prodigy, Zhou will not be eligible for the next winter Olympics in Italy in 2026 due to an Olympic snowboarding age restriction of 15.

Speaking to AP before the event, Zhou also revealed that she has ambitions to also surf in the future, and alongside her snowboarding and homeschooling, is training at a wave pool in Waco, Texas.

~

Other Stories:

A sweeping campaign against corruption in Chinese football (The Economist)

China stumbles in pursuit of Xi Jinping’s soccer goals (Wall Street Journal)

Protest song played at Hong Kong ice hockey game (Hong Kong Free Press)

Formula 1 to target China expansion? McLaren commercial chiefs hope so (City AM)

Snooker: China’s Zhao, Yan to miss World Championship due to match-fixing hearing (Reuters)

Russian Ambassador to China reveals plans for Summer Youth Games as countries draw closer after Ukraine invasion (Inside the Games)

Previously in the China Sports Column.