A former captain of China's national basketball team has tried to sell his medals to raise funds for an ailing friend but has failed to find a buyer for the memorabilia.

"These medals are the most valuable items I possess. Though I want to keep them as souvenirs of my past glory, the desire to aid my friend is much stronger," said Huang Pinjie, who lives in Beijing and was captain of the national basketball team for eight years from 1971.

Three gold medals from the Asian Cup and one from the Asian Games were listed for sale online through Huang's micro blog one month ago. The gold medal from the Asian Games in 1975 was the first ever victory for a Chinese national basketball team participating in an international competition.