Zhou Qi: Back Injury Has Been a Significant Hindrance; Chen Yingjun is One of the Best Guards in the CBA

On September 30, Beijing Royal Fighters held an open training session. Zhou Qi spoke to the media about his injury recovery, team integration, and other issues.

Q: How has your training and recovery been this summer?

Zhou Qi: This summer I went to the United States for rehabilitation, followed by national team training. Throughout this period, I’ve been focused on recovery, primarily addressing my back problems, which have been a significant hindrance. They affect both my daily training and competitive play. Coach Xu has also shown great concern for me, hoping that I can recover as soon as possible, though it’s not about completely curing the injury, as it’s irreversible.

Q: Do you have any expectations for energy allocation for the new season?

Zhou Qi: For me, the main focus will be following the coach’s arrangements for preparation, training, and matches. Since I joined the team relatively late, I hope to quickly catch up with the team’s pace and meet the requirements set by the coaching staff.

Q: How is the integration with new teammates going?

Zhou Qi: Everyone is quite familiar with each other. I’ve played with Zhai Xiaochuan on the national team for a long time, and I’ve known Fan Ziming since we were young. Including Fang Shuo and Zhang Cairen, we all know each other well, so there isn’t really an issue of getting to know and integrate with one another.

Q: Talk about Chen Yingjun.

Zhou Qi: This is the first time interacting with him. Whether in training or daily life, he previously played under Coach Guo, with whom I’ve also communicated. He is one of the best guards in the CBA, excelling both offensively and defensively. With foreign players limited to seven appearances across four quarters this year, he will need to organize the team’s offense, especially in the final quarter when the small foreign player is not available, providing an additional option.