Taiwan men's basketball team defeated Qatar 91:69. You Aizhe thanked Chen Yingjun for boosting morale.

You Aizhe. (Provided by Nagoya Asian Games Preparatory Committee)

[Reporter Nian Miaoyun/Comprehensive Report] The Taiwan men's basketball team said goodbye to the haze of losing to Iran in the previous game and defeated Qatar 91:69 to advance to the top 8. You Aizhe, who was on the Asian Games stage for the first time, said frankly after the game that although he suffered a defeat the night before, the morale of the team was not dampened. Instead, under the encouragement and leadership of captain Chen Yingjun, he quickly regained his strength and showed his determination to win.

Talking about how the team got out of the low point of the previous defeat, You Aizhe said that the whole team knew that there was no way out in this game. "Yesterday's loss did not dampen the team's morale. We knew clearly that we had to win today. Everyone tried their best to fight until the last minute. I am very happy that we won this key victory and got the chance to advance."

You Aizhe specifically mentioned the key role played by captain Chen Yingjun in the lounge. He revealed that although Chen Yingjun cared about defeat more than anyone else, he chose to put away his emotions and encourage everyone with a firm attitude. "Brother Jun is very good at inspiring people and always leads by example. I think he is actually more sad and concerned about losing to Iran than any of us, but he keeps telling us to let go of this defeat."

You Aizhe said that Chen Yingjun did not blame his teammates at all. Instead, he reminded everyone not to put the pressure on individual shoulders. It should be shouldered by the entire team. "He said a lot to the players and coaching staff in the lounge, which really helped us stabilize our mentality."

Ushering in the first Asian Games of his career, You Aizhe also shared his feelings about staying in the athletes' village. He said that this place is very Japanese and has all the necessities of life. "This is my first Asian Games, and all the experiences are new to me. Our duty as players is to prepare for the game with all our heart."

In addition, the enthusiastic support from the sidelines also gave the Taiwan men's basketball team strong backing. Seeing many Taiwanese and local fans pouring into the stadium, You Aizhe said: "When you are fighting in a foreign place, it is really touching to get the support of local fans and hometown fans at the same time. They actually have no obligation to specially come to cheer for us. I am very grateful to every friend who came to Nagoya to support us."