China has set national basketball coach Jonas Kazlauskas a quarter-final target for next year's Beijing Olympics, despite the team's woeful run of form in recent months, local media reported.

The Lithuanian has been under fire from Chinese media and fans calling for his sacking after a dismal campaign of practice matches against NBA and European sides.

"Although it has never been firmly said, there is certainly one requirement in terms of Olympic results," Hu Jiashi, a deputy director at the Chinese Basketball Association, told Web portal sina.com.

"The goal for the men and the women's team is to at least make the top eight. Jonas knows this."

As hosts, China qualify automatically for next August's Olympic tournament but their chances of advancing beyond the group stages have been downplayed by their own players.

Hu said China had signed Kazlauskas until the end of the Olympics, but added the Lithuanian was under pressure to perform.

"As head coach of the China basketball team, there is certainly a lot of pressure," Hu said.