Hong Kong's starting point guard Ricky Yan said he was tempted to explore more of the short version of the game after withdrawing from the 3×3 basketball universal Olympic qualifying tournament.
On the second day of the tournament on Saturday, the city's men's team remained winless after losing to the Netherlands and Switzerland at Victoria Park, but Hong Konger Yang said he was interested in playing more 3×3. Still, he was undaunted.
The 25-year-old said, “I'm still figuring it out. It's an Olympic sport, so I wanted to help if I was asked.'' “I also want to see if this format suits my playing style.”
Yang, who has just started playing the shorter version of the game in an official capacity, said he was starting to learn how to play when he donned the City jersey at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup in Singapore last month.
“I'm feeling good so far. [despite the lack of experience] Because 3×3 is very challenging,” he said.
“These games have been a very good experience for me because I started learning about the rules from the coach, studying and watching my teammates practice.”
Hong Kong lost to the Netherlands 17-11, then lost to Switzerland 21-19. Although Yang acknowledged the difference between him and the world's elite athletes, the rookie was keen to continue.
“I can probably make up for my physical shortcomings by executing the transition from defense to offense well,” he said. “We are inexperienced and our speed is not as fast as our opponent, but we will try our best to play.''
However, the Hong Kong Bulls guard admitted that it is difficult for Hong Kong players to focus only on 3×3 basketball.
“I'm interested because it's a very fast game and I like it,” said Yang, who participated in the Chinese National Basketball League's All-Star Weekend for the first time last summer. “For now, I am concentrating on regular matches, but I am willing to take on more challenges.
Can Hong Kong follow Mongolia's Olympic route in 3×3 basketball?
Can Hong Kong follow Mongolia's Olympic route in 3×3 basketball?
“I'm confident in my ability to drive to the basket. The more I can do that, the more chances my teammates have to score and it also helps when switching to defense after scoring.”
In the women's tournament, the hosts lost to Poland 17-7, ending their Olympic qualifying journey.
With the group stage now complete, Austria, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Latvia will advance to the men's semi-finals on Sunday, while Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands and Azerbaijan will compete for the first available women's ticket to Paris.
