DALIAN, China, May 9 (Xinhua) -- On June 13th, China will face Iran here in a friendly basketball match that will be the first debut of Li Nan as the newly appointed coach of the Chinese men's national basketball team.
Back in April, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced a new approach to managing the national men's team. Two independent national teams, each run a retired national team member, Li Nan and Du Feng, will take turns playing international tournaments in preparation for the 2019 Tokyo FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The match's press conference was held on May 9th at the same location where the match will be played: Dalian's Damai Sporting Culture Centre.
Unfortunately, Li Nan wasn't able to return to his hometown Dalian on that day, however he sent his regards through a video stream during the press conference. He sent his well wishes to basketball fans.
Not only does this match hold iconic status as the first debut of the CBA's new format, but it will also be Dalian's first time hosting an international CBA event.
The CBA also released the final roster during the conference. Iran's list is yet to be finalized.
This match will be hosted by the CBA, Infrontsports Sports & Media Marketing limited, and Dalian International Sports Culture Development limited. Enditem
