FC Barcelona basketball are off to Hangzhou and Taipei

The Euroleague has appointed FC Barcelona to be the team that will represent them on the Euroleague Basketball Asia Tour, which will take place from 6th to 11thof October. Barça will play a game in Hangzhou and another in Taipei, amongst other activities

The matches

On 7th of October at 7.35 p.m. local time, FC Barcelona will play a match against Hangzhou Zhejiang Lions, one of the most powerful teams in the Chinese Basketball Association.

On October 11th, Xavi Pascual’s team will be in Taipei to play against Taiwan Mobile at 6.30 p.m. local time

Activities on the Chinese tour

The first stop on the tour will be in Hangzhou city. Barça will land there on October 6th and will participate in various activities with the media. Barça will also hold a training session open to press and public.

On the 7th there will be activities with the media before the game against the Zhejiang Lions at the Hangzhou Stadium, a pavilion with a capacity for 5,036 spectators.

The Zhejiang Lions were founded in 2005 and joined the CBA in 2006. The team reached the playoffs in three consecutive seasons (2008, 2009 and 2010). They are coached by Li Chunjiang and their star players are Zhijie Lin and Jonathan Gibson

The day after the match FC Barcelona will have a busy day in Hangzhou. In the morning at Zhejiang University, the team will take part in a clinic, pay a visit to a school, and meet local children, as part of the Euroleague 'One Team' program. In the afternoon, the team will visit one of the most popular attractions in the city, the West Lake.

Activities inTaipei

On the same day, the 8th, in the evening, the players will travel to Taipei for the second part of the tour. On 9th and 10th October, the team will attend another get together of the 'One Team' program. In addition to scheduled training sessions, the players will meet with the media and local sponsors.

On October 11th FC Barcelona will face Taiwan Mobile at 6.30 p.m. local time in Taipei Arena, a pavilion with a capacity for 15,000 spectators.

Taiwan Mobile was founded in 1983 and renamed in 2011. In 2013 the club signed its first foreign coach, Otis Hughley. The team has improved in in recent years and was again in the play-offs in 2012/13 after six years absence. They were the runners-up in the Taiwan SBL League in the same season.

Proud to represent European Basketball

"We are proud to have been chosen to represent European basketball at an event as important as the Euroleague Basketball Asian Tour", said Joan Bladé, director in charge of the basketball section of FC Barcelona. "A global competition like the Euroleague, and a global club like FC Barcelona are joining forces to help develop the sport of basketball in China and Taiwan".

"We know there are many Barça fans in China and Taiwan. It will be a pleasure for us to share with them what our Club represents, and our values in all the activities we are preparing for our stay there", Bladé added

"The fact that FC Barcelona is representing the top European competition in the Euroleague Basketball Asia Tour is another great example of our clubs commitment to create synergies with basketball fans around the world" said Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague President and CEO.

"As our ties with the Euroleague basketball continue to grow, we would like to show our excitement about this great tour and to get to parts of Asia where basketball is appreciated and adored" said Mr. Shoto Zhu, CEO and founder of OCEANS Marketing..