Photo: VCG

The Chinese men's basketball team's campaign for a spot at the FIBA World Cup 2027 main draw will begin in Group B of the Asian and Oceania qualifiers alongside Japan, South Korea and Chinese ­Taipei, according to the draw held on Tuesday in Qatar.

In the first stage, the 16 teams heading to the Asian and Oceania qualifiers will be divided into four groups and compete in a double round-robin format playing both home and away matches, with the top three from each group advancing to the next stage. In the second stage, the 12 teams will be divided into two groups and the top three teams from each group, along with the best-performing fourth-place team across all groups and host nation Qatar, will qualify for the World Cup finals to be held from August 27 to September 12, 2027.

The 2027 World Cup will be a qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In the last edition in 2023, China concluded their World Cup campaign with one win and four losses, finishing in 29th place, marking the worst performance in China's history at the basketball World Cup.

Zhang Bin, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the goal for the Chinese national team is not only to qualify for the World Cup.

"The goal of the Chinese men's basketball team isn't merely to qualify for the World Cup but to secure a spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics by becoming the top team in Asia at the World Cup," Zhang noted. 

"Achieving that goal demands the accumulation of ample international match experience. But as young talents such as Zeng Fanbo and Yang Hansen continue to develop and mature, the future of the Chinese men's basketball team holds great promise and is truly something to anticipate." 

The first of six qualifying windows for the World Cup begins on November 24 this year.

The group game between China and Japan was selected as one of the five must-see matchups in the Asian qualifiers by FIBA. China had won every game against Japan since a loss at the 1936 Olympics, before losing to Japan in February 2024 during the Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers.

With both teams eyeing the top spot in Group B, this game has pride and momentum written all over it as China will surely want to exact some revenge, according to FIBA.

In February, China wrapped up their Asia Cup qualifiers, securing a spot in the tournament's main draw. As the team continues to gel, a stable lineup has emerged, blending seasoned veterans with rising talents such as 19-year-old center Yang, who announced his decision to enter the NBA Draft 2025 in April.

Head coach Guo Shiqiang said earlier that in the short and medium term, the focus will be on the Asia Cup, the Asian Games, and the World Cup qualifiers. The ultimate goal, he emphasized, is to perform well at the 2027 World Cup and earn a berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.