Markopoulos named head coach of Beijing Royal Fighters

Greece's Charalampos Markopoulos has been appointed head coach of the Beijing Royal Fighters, the Chinese Basketball Association club announced Tuesday.

Ruben Nembhard (1st R) of Zhejiang Golden Bulls competes during the 36th round match between Beijing Royal Fighters and Zhejiang Golden Bulls at the 2024-2025 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league in Beijing, China, March 6, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)

The 38-year-old has extensive coaching experience in both Europe and China. He was a member of the Beijing Ducks coaching staff from 2017 to 2023 before taking over as head coach of the Ningbo Rockets last season. Markopoulos guided Ningbo to the CBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

The Royal Fighters also announced Tuesday the appointments of former China internationals Zhang Zhaoxu and Han Shuo as assistant coaches.

Zhang served as an assistant coach with the Ningbo Rockets last season, while Han was head coach of the Sichuan Blue Whales.

The Royal Fighters finished 13th in the 2025-26 CBA regular season with an 18-24 record, missing the playoffs.