The 2026 Guangdong “Hundreds of Counties, Thousands of Towns, Myriad Villages” Basketball Tournament officially opened its provincial stage on October 23 at the Duyang Town Culture and Sports Park in Yun’an District, Yunfu, according to local reporting.
Opening Matches in Yunfu
Four municipal powerhouse squads kicked off the Western Guangdong regional division in a three-day, single-round-robin tournament format. Yunfu Nanshan Community faced a 75-52 defeat against Yangjiang Macao Village in the opening fixture. Meanwhile, Zhanjiang Sanpian Village and Maoming Beian Community contested a four-quarter battle that ended in a 77-74 narrow victory for Maoming Beian Community.
Former Chinese women’s national basketball team head coach Zheng Wei and former national player and current Guangdong youth women’s assistant coach Dilana Dililiati attended the opening ceremonies to support the grassroots competition. The tournament schedule features two matches each evening, with the top two teams in the division standings securing advancement to the provincial finals.
Provincial Bodies Organize Rural Revitalization Basketball Tournament
Guided by the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau and organized jointly by the Guangdong Social Sports Training Center and the Guangdong Basketball Association, the tournament serves as a sports-driven initiative supporting the province’s rural revitalization strategy. Teams qualify through a bottom-up selection process starting at the administrative village and community level across 21 prefectural cities.
Following the conclusion of the Western Guangdong regional matches, the Eastern Guangdong, Northern Guangdong, and Pearl River Delta regional divisions will play out over consecutive weekends. The provincial grand finals are scheduled for later this year in Zhongshan Guzhen. Rules strictly prohibit professional athletes from participating to maintain the grassroots nature of the competition.
Local Infrastructure and Exhibition Markets
Yun’an District secured hosting duties following local infrastructure improvements designed to expand public sports services and host high-level rural basketball events, including previous events in the national “Village BA” series. Alongside the tournament matches, organizers established an exhibition zone for regional products and a food market celebrating local goods, allowing spectators to view agricultural and industrial products from the surrounding rural areas.
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