The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Men’s Basketball Super League concluded its 2026 season on October 5 at the 12th Division Wuyi New Area Sports and Culture Center, where the 12th Division State-Owned Investment Corporation team claimed the tournament title with a 103-87 victory over the 5th Division Shuanghe City squad in the championship final.
Twelfth Division Secures the Title at Wuyi New Area
Playing before a crowd of 6,000 spectators, the host 12th Division side maintained control through four quarters of the final matchup. The victory capped an eight-day tournament featuring 52 matches under international standard five-a-side rules. The 5th Division Shuanghe City team finished as runners-up, while the 8th Division Shihezi City squad took third place in the regional competition.
Team captain Li Ruizhao pointed to the team’s runner-up finish the previous year as the primary motivator for their offseason training regimen. Players focused on shooting mechanics and defensive schemes during off-hours, building the cohesion that carried them through the single-round robin tournament.
2026 Tournament Includes 20 Entries and Digital Broadcasts
Organized by the Corps Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau alongside the 12th Division, the 2026 edition expanded to include 20 entries representing various divisions, universities, and state-owned enterprises across the region. The competition ran from September 28 through October 5.
Tournament organizers broadcast all 52 matches across multiple digital platforms alongside free public admission at the venue.
Integration of Sports Tourism and Consumer Events
Beyond the basketball schedule, event organizers paired the athletic competition with commercial and cultural activations on-site. Visitors accessed fan zones, regional product markets, intangible cultural heritage displays, street basketball exhibitions, and automotive showcases designed to link sports performance with local retail activity.
Wei Dong, a first-class inspector with the Corps Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, noted that the multi-division tournament served to connect different administrative areas through athletic competition. Local officials intend to build upon the tourism and hospitality traffic generated during the eight-day sports calendar to support broader economic initiatives in the 12th Division.
