Zhao Jiwai apologizes
On October 4th, China's men's basketball team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Philippines in the semi-finals of the Asian Games, resulting in an outpouring of criticism on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The team captain Zhao Jiwei took the initiative to apologize for the loss, both on behalf of himself and the team. However, this apology did not sit well with many fans who felt that the players should be held more accountable for their performance on the court.
5 October 2023
The Chinese men's basketball team lost to the Philippines by a single point, leading to an explosive reaction from fans on Weibo. The hashtag "Zhao Jiwei apologizes" became a top trending topic on the platform, with many users expressing their dissatisfaction with the team's performance and calling for harsher penalties against players who underperformed.
In a video shared on Weibo by MaziGongbei, Zhao Jiwei was seen interrupting Djordje Vladisavljevic during a press conference, stating that coaches should not be held responsible for every defeat and that players should instead take the blame. He went on to criticize certain commentators who he felt were too afraid of offending players by speaking out against their shortcomings.
According to Yao Ming and Zhao Jiwei's apologies, the Chinese men's basketball team suffered a 20-point reversal against the Philippines in the Asian Games, with many fans expressing disappointment at the lackluster performance of the national squad.
In another Weibo video shared by Chen Qianyuan, Zhao Jiwei was seen apologizing on camera as a team leader, expressing remorse for his team's poor performance during the match. However, some fans felt that this apology did not go far enough and should have come from other players as well.
Football legend Fan Zhiyi also weighed in on the matter during an appearance at a variety show program. He criticized China's men's basketball team for their lack of athletic ability and potential, stating that sports like basketball, football, table tennis, and badminton often start as hobbies but require a certain level of physical prowess to excel.
In the post-match press conference, Zhao Jiwei attributed the team's poor performance in the second half to a lack of emotional commitment during halftime, with players becoming slack on both offense and defense. From a data perspective, this issue was indeed evident as China struggled in the second half of the game.
While Zhao Jiwei apologized for the loss, many fans felt that it was unnecessary and that wins and losses are simply part of the game. They argued that players should focus on improving their skills rather than worrying about making apologies for defeats.