Chinese men's Olympic basketball team has arrived in Athens and received a warm welcomed at the airport.

Chinese men's Olympic basketball team has arrived in Athens while NBA all-star centre Yao Ming who is also China's flag bearer at the Games received a warm welcomed at the airport. China Radio International reported Friday.

The Chinese squad entered the Olympic village at 1 p.m. local time after they finished registration.

The athletes ignored the fatigue factor and went straight into training just two hours later.

Yao Ming, the most prominent Asian athlete at the Olympics in Athens, became the focus of photographers in the court whose cameras kept snapping and flashing.

Assistant coach Jonas Kazlauskas has not yet arrived in Athens.

The team's American coach Del Harris again declined to predict his team's ranking in the Games, stressing that as long as they play their best he will be satisfied.

(CRI online August 13, 2004)