China captain Shao relishes WCBA stint with Beijing

BEIJING - Following a seven-year stint in Beijing which brought three straight Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) titles, China's national team captain Shao Ting has many reasons to relish her time here as she prepares to depart.

"I have so many sweet memories over the past seven years here. My achievements cannot be separated from Beijing's cultivation and support. Everyone in the team loves me, and gives me a sense of family," Shao, who is set to join Sichuan next season, told Xinhua on Monday.

Shao, 30, was trained under a program between the Sichuan Provincial Sports Administration and Beijing Normal University.

"I think everyone has to bear a feeling of thanksgiving in mind. My gratitude goes to the Beijing team for their help and understanding, while at the same time to Sichuan for their dedication and support. I want to make my own contribution to development of the sport there," she explained.

Shao has played for Beijing since 2013, helping the team win three straight WCBA titles, after claiming five China University Basketball Association (CUBA) titles and three China University Basketball Super League (CUBS) crowns, thus becoming the first player to win titles in all three leagues.

She has achieved a "triple-jump" from China's university league to the professional league and then the national team, representing China in many international and continental competitions.

"What I will cherish most from Beijing is the first WCBA title that we claimed, as we had agonizingly missed out on it over the previous two seasons."

"That was also my first professional league title. As a student athlete, I joined the professional league and won the championship, which was so thrilling," Shao noted.

Sichuan ended 12th of 18 teams in the 2019-20 WCBA season, with a young roster with an average age of just 20.

"Many players there also come from the Beijing Normal University. I hope to help them better fit into the professional league and improve their skills. Making a contribution to growth of the team is also in my mind," Shao said.

"Wherever I go, I'm still a player. I will continue to work hard in training to fully prepare myself for upcoming matches and the national team's training sessions," she added.