China reaches first FIBA U18 Asia Cup final in 12 years

China's U18 basketball team celebrated after beating New Zealand 79-66 in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup semifinals in Ahmedabad, India, on August 22, 2026. This victory marked their first appearance in the final since 2014. China led 24-10 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 39-17 midway through the second quarter. New Zealand responded with a 12-3 run to tie the score at 42-29 at halftime. In the final quarter, trailing 63-48, New Zealand cut the deficit to eight points with six minutes remaining but failed to close the gap. Zhang Chunzhi scored 18 points for China, while Zhang Yizhaojie added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jackson Ball had a game-high 23 points for New Zealand. China, who last won in Qatar in 2014 and finished third in the past three editions, will face Australia in Sunday’s final, which Australia won by crushing South Korea 111-74.