The Houston Rockets' Yao Ming and fellow NBA centre Menk Bateer have been confirmed as members of the Chinese national team who will play an exhibition game in Hong Kong next month.
The two giant players - who together with Wang Zhizhi once formed the 'Walking Great Wall' that dominated Asian basketball - will spearhead China's efforts when the national team take on Australia's Melbourne Tigers on August 6 at the Hong Kong Coliseum. But it is not certain at this stage whether Wang, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, will join Yao and Bateer for the game.
The game is part of the government's relaunch Hong Kong campaign to help the community bounce back after the Sars outbreak. Hong Kong Basketball Association chairman Norman Chan Shui-tim said it would cost the government over $4 million.
The Chinese players are to start their promotional work as soon as they touch down in Hong Kong on August 4. Their arrival and passage through customs will be filmed for use as publicity material promoting Hong Kong.
As for the game itself, HKBA's Chan said tickets would be a lot cheaper than the upcoming Real Madrid soccer match for which the cheapest tickets (excluding concessionary prices) are priced at $500.
'If it is up to me then I'd say let's have free entry for the game,' said the HKBA chairman.
'I'll try to persuade our partners in the mainland, who are helping us to arrange the game, to keep ticket prices as low as possible. I'd be upset if the tickets cost over $300.'
