Recently, Rinchen Chodrak and Losong Dorje, two players of Lhasa Pure Land Men's Basketball Club, was awarded as national athletes by the State General Administration of Sports. This is the first time for Tibetan players to win this kind of honorary title.

Tseten Dorje, president of Lhasa Pure Land Men's Basketball Club, says, "since the foundation of this club, only two Tibetan players conform to the state physical examination. Now it is not easy for two players to be awarded as national athletes."

It is said that a data base on local young Tibetan players (including Tibetan areas in Sichuan Province) has been built. Data including players' basic information and skill statistics will be recorded in the data base and will be updated continuously. In the next two to three years' time, this club aims to develop the long-term stable athletes training mechanism, and cultivate more excellent Tibetan basketball players for Tibet or even the whole nation.