The resurgence of the men's five-a-side team was perhaps the biggest success story for Yao, whose watching brief on the sidelines for almost every Team China match in Indonesia made him appear more like a coach than an official dignitary.

At the 2014 Asiad in Incheon, the men only ranked fifth, and Yao's bold move to split the squad in two－Team Red and Team Blue－in the build-up to the Games was under scrutiny. The presence of the Houston Rockets' Zhou Qi, China's only NBA player, in the squad had intensified the media glare.

Team Red, including young stars like Zhou, Ding Yanyuhang and Abudushalamu Abudurexiti, was sent to do battle at the Games, with Team Blue, which featured former NBA player Yi Jianlian, staying at home.

"The new model is not our aim, it's our method to make the team more competitive," said Yao. "I'd like to call the idea the 'Grand National Team', and the purpose is to increase our chances of finding more talent.

"The two head coaches of the red and blue teams have already helped us to find five or six new players who were not noticed by us before.

"We want players like Kobe Bryant and Stephon Marbury who can function as the core of the team.

"The model of the blue and red teams is more helpful in strengthening our weak points, but a new star who can lead the charge can only emerge in real battles and competitions."

Zhou certainly looked comfortable assuming that role in Indonesia.