World's tallest basketballer joints Mexican team

Updated：2007-06-20 From：Xinhuanet

MEXICO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese basketballer Sun Mingming arrived in Mexico on Tuesday as the latest signing for Fuerza Regia, a team from the northern Mexico city of Monterrey, Sergio Ganem, the team's owner told Xinhua.

Sun, 2.36 meters high, is the world's tallest player, and will join the Northern Zone National Professional Basketball League. His new one-year contract makes him the first gigantic Asian player to join a Mexican basketball team.

Sun had previously played in United States minor league team the Grand Rapids Flight, but never managed to follow the footsteps of compatriot Yao Ming, who plays for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association.

Sun will give a press conference on Wednesday in Monterrey, which is 1,000 km north to Mexico's capital, Mexico City. Fuerza Regia's manager, George Torres, took the team to the northern league's semi-final in 2006. The Northern League has 20 teams from 14 of Mexico's 32 states.

The League's eighth season begins on Sept. 6, but teams begin preparing a month earlier.