姚明将开启中国篮球改革
Yao Ming, the new president of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), is planning to set up two national men's basketball teams in the future, according to a plan submitted to the sports authority.
中国篮球协会新任主席姚明计划未来设立两支国家级男篮队伍。
The two national teams would train separately and attend respective international games until 2019 when they will be integrated into one team for preparation for the 2019 Basketball World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
During the two year period, the two teams would be banned from exchanging players.
The move would be an attempt to double the chance to bring in sufficiently talented players to the national-team level, while allowing younger players to gain more international experiences.
The plan will also require the hiring of two new head coaches.
Anyone who qualifies the requirements can apply or be recommended for the position and join in an open competition. It's also the first time that the coaches of Chinese basketball team have been hired this way.