Eurasian journalists discover enthusiasm for rural basketball in Guizhou

Eurasian journalists take photos with children in Taipan village, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Yang Qian)

The 2023 final of the Village Basketball Association, or the Village BA, recently concluded in Taipan village, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on Oct. 28, 2023.

The Village BA, a grassroots basketball tournament organized by local residents in Taipan village, has gained popularity over the years and now draws many spectators and participants. Eurasian journalists from the Belt and Road Friendship Exchange Program visited Taijiang village to watch the game and experience the village's passion for basketball.

The street outside the basketball court buzzed with palpable enthusiasm for the game. Umatkul Bralkieva, business manager of the Slovo Kyrgyzstana newspaper, expressed her astonishment at the level of attention such a basketball game could garner in a small town. "I was deeply impressed by the atmosphere on the basketball court, and I wanted to cheer with them," she said.

Players of the Village BA compete in Taipan village, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Yang Qian)

Players of the Village BA compete in Taipan village, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Yang Qian)

Eurasian journalists watch the Village BA held in Taipan village, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Kaiwei)

A journalist joins in cheering for players at the Village BA held in Taipan village, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Yang Qian)

People watch the Village BA game live on a street in Taipan village, Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 28, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Kaiwei)