Yi Jingliu

Yi Jingliu, a resident of Poshang Village Committee at the western end of Shaping Town, Heshan City, Guangdong Province, was born in Xitou Village, Heshan City, Guangdong Province. Xitou Village is situated along the Xijiang River and is a quiet and tranquil small village; Yi Jingliu’s ancestors have lived there for generations. He grew up locally and was later discovered by a local coach, who helped him join a provincial-level handball team. After leaving his hometown, he once resided in Shenzhen.

In terms of family, Yi Jingliu is married to Ma Meiling, and they have children. His son is Yi Jianlian, born in the 1960s. The family owns a three-story Western-style house. During festivals and holidays, family members return to their hometown for reunions and visits. On November 30, 2006, Yi Jingliu and his wife returned from Shenzhen to Heshan for a family visit and were photographed by the media during this time.

In reports from November 2006, Yi Jingliu expressed his views to reporters regarding Yi Jianlian not being selected as the Chinese national team flag bearer. He believed that Yi Jianlian was still young and would have more opportunities to hold such honors in the future. Yi Jingliu emphasized that his son’s current focus should be on training to help the Chinese men's basketball team achieve good results at the Asian Games and to earn more glory for the country.

Yi Jianlian’s development began in 2002 when he represented China at the Asian Junior Championship and won the title, becoming one of the youngest players in CBA history to be selected for the All-Star game. Soon after, he led the Guangdong Hongyuan Club to a CBA league championship. Additionally, he was considered a candidate to be the flag bearer for the Chinese delegation at the Doha Asian Games. With many honors at a young age, Yi Jianlian became a highly followed athlete.

Yi Jingliu maintains a low profile outwardly and has expressed his hopes for his son to continue working hard. He stressed that Yi Jianlian’s growth depends on continuous effort and training, and that outside praise and fame should be approached rationally to avoid affecting his normal development. As the pillar of the family, Yi Jingliu has always paid attention to his son’s growth and career development, emphasizing that athletes should base their pursuits on diligent training and strive to bring honor to their country.