Wuhan resident Zhang Tao claimed a national basketball championship during the National Day holiday in Guizhou, securing the title alongside a signature livestock prize as part of the country’s most prominent grassroots tournament. Sources reporting for长江网 detailed that the 40-year-old veteran helped the Guangxi Liuzhou Luzhai team defend their crown at the 2026 National “Village BA” Basketball King争霸赛 (Contest) National Finals in Taipan Village, Taijiang County, Guizhou Province.
Guangxi Luzhai Defends National Crown at Taipan Village Finals
The tournament concluded on October 5, 2026, when the Guangxi Liuzhou Luzhai squad defeated the Xinjiang Kashgar Yecheng team 91-75 to successfully defend their national title. According to news reports, the annual competition serves as China’s most influential grassroots basketball tournament, drawing 23 representative teams from 16 competition zones across the country, including special invitee squads from Hong Kong and Macau.
Tens of thousands of local residents and traveling fans packed the open-air arena for the October 5 showdown. During the pre-match entry ceremony, Zhang stepped onto the court last as the oldest player on the Luzhai roster, standing at 1.96 meters tall. While tactical decisions kept him off the floor during the final match itself, his presence showed a sustained commitment to the sport.
From Wuhan Neighborhood Courts to National Finals
Outside of his professional life, basketball remains a central fixture of his daily routine. He plays three to four times a week near his residence in the Poly Central Commune neighborhood of Hongshan District, where community basketball culture runs deep. He has participated in every local building-to-building tournament since its inception eleven years ago, leading his squad to seven titles.
“Wuhan has a lot of people who play basketball, and various competitions are organized in an orderly manner, which is a great help for me to maintain my state,” Zhang said in published interviews, noting that rigorous competition on community courts allowed him to compete at a national level at age 40.
Zhang Plays Restricted Role to Support Younger Teammates
The championship run contrasted sharply with Zhang’s role during the previous year’s tournament. At the 2025 National Finals, he started at forward and played every minute of the schedule to help secure the championship. Facing a younger roster and the natural effects of aging this year, his playing time was restricted. “I hope that the few minutes I am on the court can allow me to step up when the team is in trouble and carry the burden for a while for the physically exhausted young players,” he explained.
Following the victory, the Luzhai team claimed the tournament’s trademark prize: a live champion cow. Sources confirmed that the team arranged overnight transport to ship the animal back to Guangxi for breeding and maintenance. Zhang also noted that while a professional career nearly materialized during his youth, personal circumstances steered him down a different path, though his passion for the game has endured for 25 years.
