China's CUBA starts new season

The Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBA) set off its 12th season on Wednesday as new rules, new sponsors and new teams join in the most popular college sport league in China.

The Capital Normal University men's team lost the opener of the season 94-63 to the Peking University team at home on Tuesday night. More teams will play their first match of the season on Wednesday.

Over 1,000 teams from about 700 colleges around the country competed in the basketball league last season when the China University of Mining and Technology won the men's title and the Beijing Normal University took the women's championship.

Teams will play more games this season as the top eight teams from each of the four areas are going to vie each other in the home-and-away round.

The Anta Ltd., which sponsors the national team at the 2012 London Olympic Games, became the new equipment supplier of the league.

Source: Xinhua