BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Former basketball star Dennis Rodman, together with other NBA players and coaches as in a delegation, has arrived in Pyongyang for an 8-day visit. The players will hold matches with their counterparts from the DPRK, while Rodman is also filming a documentary.

The visit comes at a time of increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula, leading some to hope the visit will be a chance for sports diplomacy. For more details about the visit, Miranda Lin has the story.

Setting aside the DPRK nuclear crisis for a while - A US delegation of NBA players and coaches has arrived in Pyongyang for a week-long visit.

The group is made up of 13 basketball players and coaches, including retired US star Dennis Rodman, who won 5 NBA championships in his prime.

Dennis Rodman, retired US basketball player, said, "It’s my first time, I think it’s most of these guys’ first time here, so hopefully everything’s going to be OK , and I’m hoping the kids have a good time for the game."

They will take part in matches with DPRK players. Rodman is also expected to film a documentary that will air on the US cable channel HBO in early April.

The founder of the company to produce Rodman’s documentary says he hopes the visit will help keep the communication lines open at a time of tension. Although this is the NBA’s first visit to the DPRK, it’s not the first time athletes from the two countries have acted as ambassadors.

Back in 2007 and 2011, a taekwondo group from the DPRK also visited the US. They performed demonstrations in several cities and visited schools to teach taekwondo .

This visit by the NBA comes on the heels of the DPRK’s third nuclear test. And some say it’s an opportunity to conduct diplomacy through sports. But officially, neither side has commented on this. They may be just there to play basketball.

(Source: CNTV.cn)