BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Veteran coach Gong Luming has replaced Zheng Wei as the new head coach of the China women's basketball team, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced on Tuesday, marking his return to the position he last held 20 years ago.
Beginning his coaching career in 1991, Gong led China's men to a historic eighth place at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He then served as the head coach of the women's national team from 1999 to 2005. During his six-year tenure, China clinched gold at the 2002 Asian Games and finished sixth at the FIBA Women's World Championship that same year.
Gong was reappointed head coach of the struggling men's team in 2014, and helped China reclaim the FIBA Asia Championship in 2015, thus qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In the announcement, the CBA said that Zheng would no longer serve as head coach after her contract expired.
During Zheng's spell in charge, China had an impressive run in 2022 and 2023, finishing runner-up at the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup, and triumphing at the Asia Cup and the Asian Games in the following year. However, the team failed to continue that momentum at the 2024 Olympics, finishing only ninth.
The 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup in July will be the first test for 67-year-old Gong, as China aims to retain the title. ■
