No one would accuse Wang Zhizhi, China's former and first NBA star of having things too easy since his return to China's national team this April from the U.S. after a five-year estrangement from the team - the seven foot-one-inch center has spent most of his time on the bench after being injured five times in just over three months of training and games.

Wang Zhizhi leaves the gymnasium where he trains with the aid of crutches. [sina.com]

As China's national basketball team, playing without Wang and another towering China's NBA star Yao Ming, was crushed 119-73 by the United States team on August 7, worry began to spread about either of them being able to play in the upcoming World Championships in Sapporo, Japan, starting August 19.

Wang, now only able to jog slightly due to a pulled ligament injury to his right knee in China's 76-57 defeat to host France in Strasbourg July 24 was suggested by doctors to be benched for up to three weeks.

Will Wang be playing in the championships?

National team coach Jonas Kazlauskas and Wang have their lips sealed. "We have to wait and see," they said.

"I go to see the doctor in mornings, do some strength exercises in the afternoons and go back to my department at night," Wang said. "I really can't tell when I'll be able to return to the court".

"Wang is not ruled out in the Champions," an official was cited by People's Daily web site in Madrid, where China was playing in a four nation warm-up tournament at the end of July.

To play in the Champions is not easy, but the 29-year-old Wang is expected to play, or even in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

To contact the writer of this story:
Guan Xiaomeng in Beijing at guanxm@chinadaily.com.cn