SlamBall players from the US compete during an exhibition game last weekend in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. It's the first time the sport was demonstrated in China and it is expected to spread to more cities in a bid to attract Chinese youngsters. [Provided to China Daily]

Adam Hooker of the Slashers slams the ball during an exhibition game in China. [Provided to China Daily]

Exciting new hybrid game wants to be a high-flying hit in China, Chen Xiangfeng reports.

Imagine this scene: A Chinese man of average height jumps over the head of a 2.10 meter giant and slams a basketball into the net. It's not a dream or a video game as Lu Feng, from Shanghai, did that in front of some hoops fans during a SlamBall exhibition game last week in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Lu was one of 100 local SlamBall players who were selected and trained by American coaches from the Multinational SlamBall Athletic Association (MSAA) and got the chance to embrace the brand-new sport in China.

In China, it's just the start for SlamBall, an aerodynamically insane, full-contact, hybrid sport that combines elements of basketball, soccer and gymnastics, but MSAA has revealed its ambition to set up training centers around the nation, foster more talent and organize a series of pro games from next year.

Michael Sun, CEO and president of SlamBall China, is optimistic about the sport's prospects.

"We were concerned a few months ago when we started this program. None of those guys knew the sport. They were just curious," said Sun, who, with the game's founder, Mason Gordon from the United States, plan to make it a global sport.

"These young people then found it's a cool and fashionable sport. Some of them have shown great talent and passion for the sport. This year is a great start and we will spread it to more cities."

SlamBall made its Chinese debut in June, with some American pro athletes demonstrating to locals how the sport is played.

The organization then opened training camps and selected eight of the best to play with four of the world's top teams from the US during a series of exhibition games last week.

Gordon, who came up with the idea for the sport in 1999 and sketched it on a napkin, said the game was suitable for everyone with a "big heart".

"The sport is fast, exciting and fashionable for young fans.

"Look at the top basketball league in the US. You may think I can never do that professionally as you might have to be two meters tall to make it," Gordon said.

"But everyone who sees SlamBall, if you have the right training and play hard enough and work hard enough, you can do that. It's not empty words. You saw that Lu Feng is not all that tall, but he is strong, fast and plays with a big heart and courage.

"That's what we were looking for when we brought the sport out here to China. We can find his attributes in lots of other young people that we are going to develop over the next couple of years."

Gordon and Sun will make more efforts in the coming years to spread the sport through training camps, media, video games and themed products.

They will bring more overseas teams to China and plan to train 100,000 students about the game next year.

Both are aware China is a rising sporting nation and a great springboard to market and promote a new sport.

"We know this is one of those things that people overlook, until it breaks through and everybody is going to be like, 'Oh, of course, SlamBall made it'," Gordon said.

"Here in China, we will expose it to more people. We will do that in Australia and Brazil. It will be a global sport within the next five years and we will have a World Cup tournament."