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Coach Maher predicts bright future of young Chinese women's basketball team

Xinhua, August 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

China's women's basketball head coach Thomas Maher was happy with their Olympic trip in Rio 2016 though China failed to advance into top 8, and the Australian predicted a great future of the young Chinese team.

"I am very happy. I think we played good basketball. We played to our level," Maher said minutes before leaving the Olympic Village on Wednesday.

"They are above our level. We are not No. 6 in the world. We are like 8-10. The next phase for us is to get 6 or 7. That's our way, to be able to play at that level," he said. "I'm very happy with the way we play basketball. We played nice basketball. There are some teams just better than us."

China finished fifth in the preliminary round with one win and four losses, a big drop compared to the sixth finish in the 2012 London Games.

"Shao Ting and Lu Wen had good tournament. I think those players are already ready to play international basketball. But the players that are gonna make difference are the younger group, and they have fantastic chances to be great. (Sun) Mengxin, (Huang) Sijing, Dou Dou (Zhao Zhifang), Wu Di, those players can take enormous (improvement). It's not like those players are so so players, they can climb really high. The younger group will become much better, and this experiences are what they need," Maher added.

This was the second spell for the Australian leading the Chinese women's team in Olympics as he also guided China in the 2008 Beijing Games.

"We had some superstars at that time. I think this team can have more depth, more players. I don't know who is gonna be superstar. Maybe Sijing could be. Mengxin maybe if she could defend. It's hard to say now, but definitely they gonna take huge, huge steps."

Maher's contract with the Chinese Basketball Association will expire after the Rio Olympics. The CBA didn't say whether or not to extend its contract with Maher.

"I love to coach China. I'm happy with the chances I've got. China gives me two wonderful Olympics. I'm just grateful to be part of it," Maher said. Endit