National Basketball Association center Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets will spearhead the Chinese men's basketball team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

　　The Xinhua news agency said Monday the 12 man squad also includes Menk Bateer, a veteran of China's 1996 and 2000 Olympic campaigns. He played for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs last year.

　　But the selectors passed over Miami Heat star Wang Zhizhi, after his refusal to play for China at the 2002 World Championships and last year's Asian championships.

　　Chinese officials expect the team, with newly appointed American coach Del Harris, to enter the elite top eight teams at the Olympics. It is grouped with world champion Serbia-Montenegro, Spain, Italy, Argentina and New Zealand. The top four advance out of the first round.

　　Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.