The opening ceremony of the 2018 CBA draft was held at the Hi-Park Basketball Park in Beijing on Thursday morning, according to the official website of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Yao Ming, former NBA star and chairman of CBA, attended the ceremony and cheered for candidate players.

"The draft is a new beginning for young players," Yao Ming said at the opening ceremony. "Wish all of you good luck. Hope all basketball teams will be able to pick their favorite players. Make your team stronger and work together for a better CBA."

The training camp will be held from July 26 to 28, during which players will undergo physical tests and team training, and participate in tournament. The 2018 CBA draft will be officially held on Sunday morning.

Fifty players signed up for this year's draft, reaching the maximum of the candidate number, among which nine are college basketball players. Twenty players have been selected since the first draft in 2015.