Taiwan NT opens its training camp today in Songshan High School Gymnasium for the preparation of the Asian Championship, which will be held in Harbin, China in September.
Hu Tsai-lin, head coach of Bank of Taiwan, was added last week as the second assistant coach for the national team. Taiwan NT now completes the 3-man coaching staff with Lee Chin-chi as the head coach, Hu Tsai-lin and Chou Hai-jun(Mars assistant) as assistants.
Almost half of the Senior NT players will also participate in the World Univsersity Games in Daegu, Korea in late August. Taiwan NT is expected to train together with the University Games NT, which is led by former NT head coach Lee Yun-kwang.
Taiwan NT now has 15 players on its roster. The number will be cut to 12 prior to the ABC Championship. But they will bring 15 players to the US training tour. Taiwan NT plans to stay two weeks in the Basketball Academy in Eugene, Oregon, where they will have a couple of warmup games with unknown teams. Word is CTBA will have five younger players stay in the Academy after the camp. The players will be instruted by Sacramento Kings counselor Pete Carril in the extended mini-camp.
Ths status of Men's Asian Championship is unclear. Although the SARS outbreak has been under control in most Asian countries, no one knows for sure what is going on in China. Japan has postponed the Women's Asian Championship. CTBA has decided to suspend the annual William Jones Cup Tournament this year. The latest situation for the ABC Championship and the World University Games remains to be seen.
Chen Hsin-an, who is suspended from the NT competition for a year, is expected to be on the WUG roster.