China's basketball giant Yao Ming said his foot is healed and he hopes to
play against Team USA in coming days, but he refused to confirm rumors of a
deepening relationship with his girl friend.
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Chinese NBA star Yao Ming and his
girlfriend Ye Li, rarely showing up together at public
occasions, attend at a commercial promotion event in Beijing July 26,
2006. The 2.29-meter (7-foot-6-inch) Houston Rockets center is
Beijing preparing for the upcoming World Championships in Japan
in August. Yao and Ye were helping promote a Chinese
mobile phone service operator.
[newsphoto]
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"Everyone wants to know,"
Yao said in an Internet webchat when asked about his recent appearances with
girl friend Ye Li.
"Everyone wants to know, so I am not going to tell you."
Yao, 26, who has been recovering from a broken foot, has been photographed at
recent publicity events and in training with 25-year-old Ye, his long-time
girlfriend who also plays center on China's women's national team.
Their relationship goes back more than five years when the seven-foot-six
(2.26 meter) Yao played on Shanghai's men's team, while the 1.90 meter Ye played
for Shanghai's women's team.
His relationship with Ye was only part of a wide-ranging discussion on
Sina.com.
A major topic was whether the NBA All Star with the Houston Rockets would be
fit enough to play in the August 19-September 3 World Basketball Championships
and an August 7 warm up match against the United States.
"I had a check up, we took some pictures of it, the bone is growing back
well," Yao said.
"The problem is that my left foot was injured for a long period and the
muscle group is not in good shape ... this will have to wait until I start
practice with the national team and the problem will gradually be resolved.
"I'll try to get ready for Dream Team Seven (Team USA). If I can play in the
game against Dream Team Seven, then there won't be any problem with the games
afterwards."
Yao said he also planned to play in the Stankovic Cup in Nanjing from August
11-15, which will include teams from France, Germany, Greece, Australia and
Brazil.
In the World Basketball Championships, he said China would aim to reach the
final eight, repeating its eighth-place finish at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
"Our goal is to get to the final eight. As far as the team is concerned we
still have not broken through to the top tier, so the best is that we take the
eighth spot," Yao said.
"If we want to go farther then it is going to take a lot of effort."
