China advances to women's 3x3 basketball semifinals at Dakar 2026 YOG

DAKAR, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- China advanced to the women's 3x3 basketball semifinals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) with a 21-14 victory over the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Players of China celebrate after the women's quarterfinal match of 3x3 basketball between China and the Czech Republic at the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, Nov. 8, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Sun Hanyun, Gu Manjie and Zhu Zihan started for China, which had topped Group A with a 21-4 victory over Fiji and a 20-15 win against Kenya.

Less than a minute after tip-off, China surged to an early 5-0 lead through a combination of strong drives to the basket and sharp perimeter shooting. Maintaining its intensity, the Chinese team extended the advantage to nine points at 15-6.

The Czech team staged a late rally to cut the deficit to five points, but China quickly regrouped and held on for a 21-14 victory.

Sun told Xinhua that the Chinese players had adopted a strategy of "conceding one-point shots but denying two-pointers" to prevent their opponents from closing the gap quickly.

"Our energy dipped for a spell in the middle of the game, allowing them to score several one-point baskets in a row. But we adjusted in time and eventually got the win," she said.

In another quarterfinal, hosts Senegal edged Chile 13-11 to set up a semifinal clash with China on Monday.