Wang Zhizhi, the first Chinese player to feature in the United States' NBA competition back in 2001, said he is sure to play for his country at the London Olympic Games although he is plagued with injuries.

"Thank God. We have won the Asian champion in Wuhan last month and a berth for the London Olympic Games," the 32-year-old said. "The Asian championships was very difficult for us. Fortunately we didn't let the host fans down."

After former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming retired in July, Wang had become the backbone of the Chinese national squad. "Although he is not what he was physically, he is indispensible for the squad. When he is in the court with us, we can feel the confidence he brings to us. He is our spiritual leader," his teammate Zhang Bo said.

In the summer of 1999, the Dallas Mavericks selected Wang with the 36th pick in the second round of the NBA draft. Unprepared and confused, his Chinese club, the Chinese Army, refused to allow their only center to leave for the United States, at least immediately.

After long periods of negotiations, Wang was finally let go by his Army club and the Chinese basketball officials to pursue his NBA dream, two years after he was drafted.

Wang, who also played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat, returned to China in 2006 after failing to find a club in the NBA.

"My form is OK," he said. "I tried hard to finish every training session as asked by the coach. But it has been too much for me. I can not be as fast as before. It takes a longer time to recover before I can go back to the next day's training. But I want to try my best."

"After playing this sport for 20 years, I am now plagued with many injures, especially the injury to my legs. But I still enjoy basketball," he said.

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