Members of the gold medalist team China celebrate during the awarding ceremony of the 2023 FIBA Women's Asia Cup in Sydney, Australia, July 2, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

On July 2, China won a narrow victory over its well-matched opponent Japan 73:71 in the final of FIFA Women's Asia Cup 2023, regaining the title after 12 years. Yang Shuyu, who made her international debut as a member of the Chinese women's basketball team, spent five carefree years at Sanxin School in Zhongshan.

After the match, Zhongshan Daily contacted Yang via her primary school teacher. "It is my first time to compete in the Asia Cup and I am here to feel the atmosphere, a lot of fans in Australia came for us and they sang the national anthem of China just as our fans in China did, which is inspiring," said Yang.

Yang has brilliant records: She helped Guangdong claim the WCBA 2018-2019 title; won the women's 3x3 basketball bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics; grabbed the women's 3x3 basketball gold medal at the National Games; and won the 2023 Asia Cup title.

Yang, 1.84 meters tall, was born in Guangzhou in 2002 and tightly bound to Zhongshan. Her grandparents were athletes and her father was a football player. In 2008, the 6-year-old girl started her primary school life in Sanxin School in Sanxiang Town, Zhongshan. During the summer vacation of the fifth grade, she left Sanxin School and returned with her parents to live in Kunming, where she chose basketball as her future career.

If things go well, Yang will represent China in the Asian Games Hangzhou this September, and China stands a good chance to defend its title at home. After returning to China, Yang and her teammates will devote themselves to the new-round training for the upcoming Asia Games.