Technical help

In the Seychelles, China's assistance is aimed at helping that country resolve the problem of a lack of talent, Xu said, adding that volunteers have gone there to share advanced technology and experience.

Xu stressed that volunteers should focus more on doing their best to complete their work and should not exaggerate their roles.

"I believe that over time, a little help from us will bring some changes," she said.

Her views strike a chord with Sun Wei, a volunteer from Shanghai who worked as a basketball coach in Laos for seven months in 2017, sharing his expertise in training and tactics with teams in the Southeast Asian nation.

Sun's outstanding work teaching the Vientiane provincial team and the Laotian national youth team secured him a leading role in coaching the country's national men's squad.

After becoming chief coach of the men's team, he overcame a series of difficulties, including limited training facilities and also medical problems, helping the team defeat Myanmar at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

It was the first time in 20 years that the Laotian men's basketball team had returned to regional competition－achieving its first victory and also improving its ranking with the International Basketball Federation, Sun said. "Such a result was beyond my expectations," he added.