体坛英语新闻：Olympic basketball hopes in jeopardy: Yao

Basketball superstar Yao Ming is worried that China's recent shaky performances will cost it its lofty ambitions at next year's Beijing Olympic Games.

Chinese NBA star Yao Ming (R) shake hands with 18 year old basketball player Wu Fengmiao (L), who will compete in the 2007 Shanghai Special Olympics, at a promotional event in Shanghai July 4, 2007. [Reuters]

"The rivals of our recent warm-ups are not big teams," said the Houston Rockets star center. "But we still failed to play our game throughout the matches.

"This is the biggest problem right now for the national team."

Hopes are high that Coach Jonas Kazlauskas's team will achieve a podium finish at the Beijing Olympics, or at least a better place than the country's previous best of eighth.

But Yao is anything but upbeat about the team's prospects.

"At the Beijing Olympics, we will have totally different teams to play and all the matches are played successively," he said.

"We have to perform our best in a consistent way if we have to win and advance. If we lose some matches due to lack of concentration, we might have no chance at all."

The NBA All-Star joined the national team earlier this month and together with Milwaukee Bucks' new Chinese marquee Yi Jianlian led it to an unconvincing 5-1 record against two Australian clubs.

The players squandered big leads during the matches and continued to struggle to score points, especially when Yao was benched.

"Sometimes we can play very good game, but sometimes we could not," Yao said.

"It means we have to take more systematic trainings in the following time."

But the 226cm giant also pointed out some positives, singling out fellow big man Yi, the 2007 NBA No 6 draft pick, as strong backup inside the paint.

"He showed how good basketball he could play. I am sure he will give something more to the team after playing in the NBA season.

"We will have bigger advantage in the paint in the next year after Yi makes further progress from the world's best league."

Yao plans to fly to the US on October 3 to join Houston's preseason training camp, but he admits he is behind in preparations for the NBA season.

"We have flown to different places to compete since I got married," he said.

"I was short of systematic trainings. I am not 100 percent fit and I am so much worried (about the preparation for the NBA new season).

Coming into his sixth NBA season, which tips off on October 30, under new coach Rick Adelman, a more mature Yao refuses to detail the club's target.

"I think I should not say too much. Action speaks louder than words. Like we were highly expected last season but did not reach it. In the new season, we will come out even stronger and step further in the playoffs."

Determination and perseverance have powered Yao's illustrious basketball career, beginning in the Chinese Basketball Association, then the Asian Basketball Championships and rocketing to NBA All-Star status.

He has become a revered athlete with a huge global fan base.

Yao's increasing popularity and influence make him the favorite of sponsors.

Sportswear company Reebok and Yao teamed up on Tuesday in Beijing to unveil he brand's latest marketing and advertising campaign - "Fuel Yao's Unlimited Power."