Tour series is hit by triple cancellation

THE series of matches between China's national side and the Team America professional outfit has been slashed by a third after the cancellation yesterday of games in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

Last night the tour, which opened with three matches in Chinese cities last week, moved to Macau where East Asian Games champions China re-confirmed their dominance with a 108-100 victory, their fourth in four games.

Earlier in the day, Team America organisers were dealt the triple cancellation blow which reduced the series to six matches, of which two are yet to be played.

The Jakarta leg was called off when Indonesian authorities refused visas to the China team. Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur went west when Thai and Malaysian tour sponsors withdrew because Team America's two biggest draw cards, Manute Bol and George Gervin, wereforced to pull out of the squad.

Bol, a seven foot seven inch Sudanese who is contracted to the Philadelphia 76ers until the end of this month, had been given the blessing of Sixers general manager Jim Lynam to play. But the NBA, who usually approve of their players entering non-NBA games only for charitable purposes, stepped in to prevent the deal.

Gervin, who toured with Team America on their previous Asian jaunt in 1991, was refused permission to go this time by the San Antonio Spurs. One of the NBA's all-time great shooters, Gervin is the Spurs' assistant coach and was needed to evaluate incomingtalent at important pre-draft training camps in the US.