Coach Gong Luming to lead China in Rio

BEIJING (2016 Rio Olympics) - China can begin to step up their preparations for the Rio de Janeiro Games after agreeing to terms on a new contract with coach Gong Luming. The veteran steered the Far East giants to glory on home soil last year at the FIBA Asia Championship but his status had been up in the air with the Olympics just several months away.

The official website of the Chinese Basketball Association, however, has confirmed that Gong will indeed remain in charge. Gong is no stranger to Olympics. He played for China at the 1988 Seoul Games and then coached the national team at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

He played to rave reviews last summer as the head coach. Though China were at home in Changsha-Hunan, they were not clear favorites heading into the tournament. Their last memory of the competition, in fact, had been a bad one. Chinese Taipei had beaten them in the Quarter-Finals in 2013, a result that kept China out of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

In 2015, after claiming a gritty, come-from-behind victory over Korea in their second game, China rolled to the crown. 

Asia champions China will be led by Gong Luming (CHN) in Rio

China completed an unbeaten run with a 70-57 success against Iran in the Semi-Finals and a 78-67 triumph over the Philippines in the championship game. By winning the title, China qualified for the Olympics.

Yi Jianlian, Zhou Qi and Guo Ailun excelled for the Chinese and made the All-Star Five. Yi was named as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

China will play in Group A of the Olympics against Australia, the United States, Venezuela and two of the winners of the three FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. Their first game will be against the two-time defending champions USA on 6 August.

FIBA