‍‍‍‍‍‍Chinese basketball star Mengke Bateer marked his retirement from the sport with a ceremony. The now former basketball player and his team already have a plan about his future career. Bateer has partnered with Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, a member of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in founding a basketball academy in Houston, USA. The academy is expected to open in 2014 and recruit over 200 kids at the initial stage.

Bateer chose to form a partnership with Olajuwon because of both his influence in the sport and experience in training. After retirement, Olajuwon opened his first Big Man Camp in the 2006 NBA offseason to teach young frontcourt players the finer points of playing in the post. While Olajuwon never expressed an interest in coaching a team, he wishes to give back to the game by helping younger players. Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players, including centers Yao Ming and Dwight Howard.

Source: people.cn

Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick.