Stars aim high to shoot hoops at annual Super Penguin

Over 60 celebrities from film, sport and entertainment circles will take part in this year's basketball-themed Super Penguin Celebrity Game, according to its host Tencent Sports.

This year marks the fourth edition of the annual event taking place in Sanya, Hainan province,organized by the internet giant. The glittering lineup will include actors Li Chen and Zheng Kai, basketball coaches Ganon Baker and Li Chunjiang, and Sunnee and Lai Meiyun from pop group Rocket Girls 101.

Starting from July 2, the game will be broadcast every Tuesday at 8 pm via online platforms, including Tencent Sports, Tencent Video and Tencent News.

With China hosting this year's annual FIBA Basketball World Cup in late August, the celebrity tournament will help make basketball the focus of China's sports industry this summer, says Guo Xin, a marketing professor at Beijing Technology and Business University.

As well as acting as a warm-up event for the FIBA World Cup, she says, this year's Super Penguin will also serve as a way to promote Chinese national sports generally.

With the launch of the program, Tencent Sports hopes to bring basketball to a wider audience, promote it as a lifestyle sport and highlight the sportsmanship of Chinese players.