Duke will play basketball exhibition games in China and the United Arab Emirates on an August trip, the school announced today.
The team will leave on Aug. 14 and play Aug. 17 in Kunshan, China, a suburb of Shanghai and the location of a new Duke-affiliated campus expected to open in 2012. Duke will play Aug. 19 in Shanghai and Aug. 22 in Beijing, where coach Mike Krzyzewski led the United States to an Olympic gold medal in 2008.
On Aug. 26, the team will end its tour with a game in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The team will conduct youth basketball clinics in China and the United Arab Emirates and visit historic sites such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall China.
“We are excited about the opportunity for our team to compete internationally and be exposed to so many significant historical and cultural landmarks,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “From my experience in China with the United States Olympic Team in 2008, I know that this is a nation that absolutely loves basketball. I am thrilled that our players will have the chance to experience a country so rich in tradition first-hand. It should be a trip they remember for the rest of their lives.”
