Chinese social media mocks ‘hilarious’, ‘shameful’ basketball final as losing team are crowned champions
- Zhejiang thrashed by Shandong in National Youth Basketball League final, yet judged better on a ‘physical’ and ‘technical’ basis – details of which are unclear
- ‘No wonder our football, basketball and volleyball are so far behind,’ fan says on Weibo, while another says the method ‘might help China win Fiba World Cup’
Chinese social media users were left stunned after watching Shandong thrash Zhejiang 96-63 in the women’s National Youth Basketball League final – only for the outclassed losing side to be designated as champions by officials.
Shandong demolished their opponents in the under-17 showpiece in Liaoning, with their star Zhang Ziyu head and shoulders above the rest of the players. Standing at 7ft 5in (2.27 metres), the 16-year-old chipped in 30 points and 21 rebounds in just 26 minutes on Wednesday, handing her team victory yet somehow not the trophy.
Basketball fans did not hold back in their views on league officials, with one posting on Weibo: “This is hilarious, a bunch of clowns ruining the game.”
“The winner should be the outright champion,” one person added. “You can have other team and individual accolades, but for the loser to become the champions, only the Chinese can figure it out.”
“What kind of tournament is it if the champions can be calculated?” read another Weibo comment.
“This is unique,” commented another, in Shandong. “Why don’t we just pick Zhejiang as champions?”
