NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) --China's women's 3x3 basketball team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian Games with a 21-2 rout of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, while the men's team reached the play-in round after beating Hong Kong, China 21-11.
China's women finished unbeaten with a 3-0 record to top Group B, while the men placed second in Group A behind Iran with two wins and one loss.
Under the competition format, 16 teams in each division are divided into four groups. The group winners advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second and third-placed teams compete in a play-in round for the remaining four spots.
China's Guo Jiayi credited the men's victory over Hong Kong, China to a strong defensive performance.
"Our main focus today was on defense. We aren't a team that wins just by outscoring opponents. We use our defense to drive our offense. The plan was to limit mistakes and turnovers, play decisively, take open shots, support each other and execute the coach's strategy," Guo said.
China's men are defending champions, and Sun Fengyi said the team was determined to retain its title.
"The intensity in the group stage might not have fully peaked yet, but we will give it everything we have tomorrow," Sun said.
China's men will face Indonesia in Thursday's play-in round, with the winner advancing to meet South Korea in the quarterfinals.
The women's team will face either Malaysia or Japan, who meet in the play-in round, for a place in the semifinals. ■
