Huapao combines the techniques and rules of football and basketball, using a 15 centimeter-diameter and three centimeter-thick rubber plate that looks like a discus. The plate is thrown into the air and players – eight either side – compete for it, trying to score it in their opponents' basket.

Attackers pass, pick-and-roll and crossover while the defense block, chase and tackle. It is known as Chinese rugby because of the players' fierce physical confrontation.

The nickname "Chinese rugby" is however not fully embraced by Zhang, 46, who is leading a team competing at the 11th ethnic games in Zhengzhou of Central China.

He said the ethnic sport has its own soul and philosophy. "Top teams are those who know and use the rules well, not necessarily those with young and energetic players.

"It is called huapao because the "ball" used to be an iron hoop fired by gunpowder based on the ethnic tradition during the early national ethnic games. "Pao" is Chinese pinyin meaning gun. The rubber plate was adopted in the 2003 national games for safety.