Kids from China begin basketball 'journey to the west'

HOUSTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A group of 48 elementary school students from northwest China's Gansu province arrived in Houston on Thursday, starting an 11-day basketball camp in the United States.

These teenagers, selected from about 10,000 students in Gansu, are here at the invitation of the San Antonio Spurs Sports Academy. They will attend the Spurs game against the Boston Celtics on New Year's Eve and perform a dance of traditional Chinese elements at halftime.

They will also receive a three-day private team instruction from Spurs Sports Academy coaches before visiting the San Antonio Zoo and the Witte Museum.