Basketball for me is not just a game,
not only a game,
not only a competition or entertainment,
for me, it's more like education,
and that, whatever you come from,
you're either from mountain, or you're from city...
(YAO MING, BASKETBALL THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN)
..you're from Europe or Asia or United States or America,
you all play in the same group, that, at least in that field,
we are all equal.
That's it.
(OLYMPIC GAMES)
(AFTER BEIJING 2008)
(SPORT)
(CHINA)
(LEGACY OF BEIJING 2008)
(CHINA TRANSFORMS)
(OLYMPIC GAMES)
(COMING OF AGE: CHINA AFTER BEIJING 2008)
(MINNING TOWNSHIP NINGXIA PROVINCE)
(NINGXIA IS AN AUTONOMOUS REGION)
(IN NORTHWEST CHINA FOR THE HUI PEOPLE)
(A CHINESE ETHNIC MINORITY)
(WHO PREDOMINANTLY OBSERVE THE MUSLIM FAITH)
The Yao Foundation, established by me
and my family at 2008,
exactly the same year as the Olympics.
And my first mission is to help the underdeveloped area,
to build them schools,
or maybe repair their school,
make sure they have a safe building to get educated.
(TO DATE, THE YAO FOUNDATION HAS FOUNDED)
(18 HOPE PRIMARY SCHOOLS)
(IN CHINA'S IMPOVERISHED RURAL AREAS)
Most of the schools we support at
is in the underdeveloped area.
They are a little bit limited resource,
compared to the city schools.
So we know they are very short of those PE classes,
art classes.
So we use our strength to help them with the basketball class.
That's where the Hope Schools
Basketball Season Project come from.
(SINCE 2012, MORE THAN 150,000 CHILDREN HAVE)
(ATTENDED YAO MING'S PROJECT HOPE BASKETBALL CLINICS)
When he retired, he said,
"I may be leaving the court, but not the game."
(DAVID SHOEMAKER, CEO NBA CHINA)
And he's dedicated himself,
over the course of now several years,
to growing the game of basketball.
This is Minning Town.
And this is my farm.
I spend my time working out in the fields here.
Our family all work out in the fields together.
Yan Yan is my second daughter,
and she's usually very outgoing.
She often helps me out in the fields.
She really loves playing basketball.
Very few Hui Muslim girls play basketball.
But Yan Yan really likes basketball.
I think kids should do what they enjoy.
So if Yan Yan likes basketball she should go for it.
My name's Wang Hongyan, I'm 12 years old this year.
I play basketball five to six hours a day.
There aren't a lot of girls
who like to play basketball.
I'm not worried about playing basketball with boys.
Because I am just as strong as a boy.
What boys can do, I can do, too.
Because I'm the only girl who can outplay the boys,
they are all jealous of me.
My dream is to become a basketball player
and stand on the international podium holding the trophy.
I must train hard.
I also need to study hard.
Then I can become a basketball player.
I'm proud of playing basketball.
It makes me feel very happy.
This is my home.
We have seven family members.
Dad, Mum, sister, brother and grandma.
My wife doesn't know about basketball.
But she supports me and Yan Yan to play basketball.
I'm going to take part in
Yao Ming Hope Foundation Basketball Clinic.
I'm very excited and happy.
I hope to see Yao Ming.
Because Yao Ming is my idol.
I may have a chance to show my potential
on the basketball court.
Since 2008,
more people are playing basketball in our town
Yan Yan is leaving this town
for the big city to play basketball.
She'll become more knowledgeable
and experienced in life.
So I support her.
(YINCHUAN, CAPITAL OF NINGXIA)
Working with this foundation
is part of the Hope Basketball Season,
where we've now trained
and had 300,000 children participate across China
in almost 25 provinces, where they've been able to
play the game of basketball through Yao.
(YAO MING HOPE FOUNDATION BASKETBALL CLINIC)
(YINCHUAN NO. 3 MIDDLE SCHOOL)
We go to the very far-reaching parts of China
where kids may not have the privilege to
travel for a game,
and give them some of their first experiences
with the game of basketball.
And that's really delighted us.
We have a camp, a week-long camp for kids.
Hopefully they enjoy it. Not only the basketball,
but also, more than the competition,
more than winning a game, I hope they learn the courage,
learn the teamwork,
chemistry,
communication, and attitude in there.
And that is what the sports educate me
during my career.
My dream is to become a basketball player
like Yao Ming.
The Yao Foundation has been really helpful
for countryside kids,
and I hope that more rural kids can have opportunities
to participate in these programmes.
I hope Yao Foundation will always come
that very helpful to rural kids.
I liked the indoor training session the best.
We practised the correct shooting moves,
and how to dribble properly.
During the last four years,
more than 350 schools joined the programme,
spread out in China.
We feel very proud of that.
We hope kids enjoy the basketball
and go back home,
not only bring the memory of the basketball game.
but also the memory of with their friends,
with their coaches,
all the people who helped them to learn the work.
I saw Yao Ming on TV in 2008 and he became my idol.
(BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES)
(HOSTING THE OLYMPIC GAMES AT HOME IN 2008)
(ENABLED MANY CHILDREN IN RURAL CHINA TO WATCH)
(THEIR SPORTING HEROES ON TV FOR THE FIRST TIME)
I told Yao Ming my hobby is basketball.
And that he is my idol.
Yao Ming asked me,
"Are you happy to come here to play basketball?"
I told him, I was very, very happy.
and Yao Ming said,
"Hope I can see you again."
(COMING OF AGE: CHINA AFTER BEIJING 2008)