by Sportswriters Li Bowen, Wang Jingyu

BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- In the 2023-2024 CBA season, 18-year-old rising star Yang Hansen, developed by the Qingdao Eagles men's basketball team, has been showcasing a remarkable performance, averaging 15.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game.

Emerging as one of the league's most notable rookies, Yang was selected for the North Conference starting lineup for the 2024 All-Star Weekend. Currently, Qingdao holds a record of 20 wins and 11 losses.

Off the court, the club has strengthened its commitment to youth development by partnering with three Qingdao-based training schools in early January, aiming to widen the scope of youth training initiatives.

Zhang Beihai, General Manager of the Qingdao club, stressed the club's dedication to nurturing basketball talents nationwide, highlighting that the club has established long-term collaborations with over 10 grassroots training institutions, fostering more than 60 players across five levels of youth training (U21, U19, U17, U15, U13).

Moreover, the club has established strong ties with several universities, with 11 youth team players being admitted to universities, including Nanchang University, Zhejiang University, Ocean University of China, and Beijing Sport University, in 2023.

Zhang said that the recent partnerships with three schools are intended to streamline the educational pathway from primary and secondary schools to universities. Acknowledging the concerns of parents about their children's education, the club seeks to balance academic studies and training through collaboration with these renowned basketball schools.

Highlighting the patience required in basketball youth training, Zhang said that the club's U17 team has achieved consecutive national championships, the U19 team claimed a national runner-up, and over 20 players have been selected for national youth teams, with Yang Hansen being a key player of the Chinese team that competed in the U19 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The fruitful outcomes of youth training have contributed to the club's ability to build a competitive youth team, steadily enhancing its performance in the CBA league.

In December 2023, the National U13 Youth Basketball Training Camp was held, with seven young players from the Qingdao club making the cut. Zhang reiterated the club's commitment to continuing down the path of youth training.

"We generally have about 12 players in each level of our youth teams. The U15 team, for instance, has been training under a Serbian coach for two years. Moreover, dozens of players are training with our collaborating institutions," Zhang said.

"If parents have other options or if the child finds it challenging to adapt to collective living, we won't stand in the way. Everyone is contributing to the development of basketball talent in China. The more open the talent development channels, the better for Chinese basketball. We need collective efforts in robust youth training," Zhang added. Enditem

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