Yao Ming wants to use CPPCC role to promote role of sport
Former NBA star wants to use CPPCC status to promote the role of athletes and their welfare
Former basketball star Yao Ming has called for Chinese sports to get back to basics and not be viewed solely as a way of advancing national honour.
The 2.26-metre-tall former Houston Rockets centre, who played in the United States' elite NBA competition for eight seasons and spearheaded a basketball boom in China, said he was feeling some pressure in his new role as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
"My dream is that sports can become more than a way of winning national glory but a way to cultivate robust bodies and inspiring minds," Yao said. "My basketball career has ended, but I will continue to push sports development forward."
My dream is that sports can become more than a way of winning national glory but a way to cultivate robust bodies and inspiring minds
Yao professional basketball career ended in 2011 due to chronic foot injuries. Many have said his NBA career was cut short because his obligation to play for the Chinese national team meant he could not rest after intense NBA seasons.
His decision to represent China at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, right after an NBA season, at the risk of ruining his career due to worsening injuries, won him additional respect from Chinese fans.
But some questioned his patriotism when his daughter, who was born in 2010, obtained US citizenship.
Delegates to the CPPCC session that opened on Sunday are allowed to propose regulations and make policy recommendations. In his first proposal, Yao also voiced concerns about the living conditions of retired athletes, with some former champions having trouble making ends meet.
