The controversy has reignited long-standing concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of age verification within the country’s youth sports systems.
The suspicion erupted following China’s 73-59 victory over New Zealand in a friendly match on April 10. Li delivered a dominant performance, recording 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
However, basketball fans on Chinese social media quickly noted a striking resemblance between Li, whose registered birth date is March 27, 2008, and a player named Zhang Hanbo, who was registered as being born on March 19, 2006.
Comparison image between Li Yize (L) and Zhang Hanbo. Photo by CBA |
According to the South China Morning PostZhang vanished from professional records after attaining the title of national athlete title at age 16. Meanwhile, the name Li Yize only surfaced in the national youth database in 2024 with no prior competitive history.
Adding to the suspicion, both players are left-handed and share the same lunar birth date of the 20th of second lunar month. If the allegations are proven true, the birthday adjustment would have allowed the athlete to overcome age restrictions for the 2025 National Games, which required players to be born after 2007.
Further scrutiny of archival data shows that Zhang competed in the 2019 U15 qualifiers alongside current NBA standout Yang Hansen, who was born in 2005. This connection has led to speculation that the athlete may have been overage even in earlier youth divisions.
The CBA pledged to handle the matter with urgency and respect for the truth, promising a public disclosure of their investigation.
The incident has sparked heated debate on Chinese online forums, with many fans questioning how such manipulation remains possible in the digital era.
“Is it that easy to change your age in China? Is this an act of personal motivation or an orchestration from the organization?” a user commented.
“I hope this doesn’t just end with a young player quietly withdrawing from the sport,” a basketball blogger wrote.
While Chinese law requires strict verification, including original birth certificates and police approval, to change personal data, age manipulation has plagued Chinese basketball for decades. In 2012, former CBA Vice President Li Yuanwei frankly called this issue an “open secret.”
A 2008 audit previously exposed 22 CBA players with inconsistent ages, including veteran Zhang Qingpeng, whose birth year was adjusted by four years between registrations.
Under current CBA disciplinary regulations, players found guilty of age fraud face a three-year ban from all competition. Involved organizations may also face fines of up to 20,000 yuan (US$2,760), funding cut and disqualification from future tournaments.
Given the potential impact on the National Games results, the General Administration of Sport of China may also intervene with additional penalties.
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