The Conference on Modern Basketball Science 2026, co-hosted by Beijing Sport University (BSU), the Coaching Academy of the General Administration of Sport, and the Chinese Basketball Association, was held at BSU from Sept 10 to 12.

The conference featured keynote reports, panel discussions, academic seminars, on-court demonstrations, and themed presentations. Leading experts from China and abroad in basketball science, youth development, and professional competition gathered at BSU to discuss cutting-edge issues shaping the future of modern basketball.

Officials, experts, and scholars from the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Basketball Association, the China Youth Sports Federation, FIBA China, peer sports universities, and the sports technology and sports industry sectors attended the opening ceremony.

Wang Xinzhai, deputy director of the Department of Science and Education of the General Administration of Sport of China, said in his remarks that advancing the application of sports science and technology in basketball requires fully leveraging the research capabilities of leading sports universities such as BSU. He called for high-quality university research to move beyond laboratories and into competition venues and national-team training.

Xu Jicheng, vice-president of the Chinese Basketball Association, said that the association has in recent years promoted the scientific and data-driven development of basketball. It has established an integrated data-analysis system, strengthened youth development and coach education, and advanced the integration of sports and education.

Zhang Jian, chairman of the China Youth Sports Federation and former president of BSU, noted that basketball has evolved from an experience-based skill into a highly complex systematic undertaking. He emphasized the need to identify youth talent with multidimensional assessment, strike a scientific balance among frequency, quality, and suitability to further improve the domestic competition system, and leverage data and technology to empower coaching and refine training systems.

Wang Xin, head of the Youth Development Department of the Chinese Basketball Association, delivered a keynote report on the development of the association’s youth training system.

The report outlined an overall framework featuring differentiated strategies by age group, dual-track development, integrated progression, government-society collaboration, and sports-education coordination.

The conference held a panel discussion themed “Integrated Development and Localization Pathways for Chinese and Foreign Coaches in the Context of Modern Basketball”. Focusing on artificial intelligence and the K8 tactical platform, participants exchanged views on coaching decisions, coaching philosophies, talent development, and institutional development.

It also included a panel discussion themed “Integrated Development and Localization Pathways for Chinese and Foreign Coaches in the Context of Modern Basketball”. Focusing on artificial intelligence and the K8 tactical platform, participants exchanged views on coaching decisions, coaching philosophies, talent development, and institutional development.