AsiaNet 201390 （0016）
[JINJIANG, China, February 2, 2026, Xinhua/Kyodo News JBN]The Jinjiang Culture & Tourism Group 2026 “Samaranch Cup” Asian Basketball Masters Invitational Tournament kicked off on February 1 in Jinjiang, a coastal city in southeastern China’s Fujian province, with a total of 104 youth and general teams participating from all over Asia.
The six-day competition is co-sponsored by Samaranch Foundation and Jinjiang Municipal People’s Government. The tournament consists of two divisions, youth and general (adult). Competition in the youth division has six age categories from U9 to U17, while the general (adult) division uses a 3×3 format for men.
Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and founder of the Samaranch Foundation, called on athletes to carry on the Olympic spirit in a video message.
The opening ceremony also incorporated local cultural elements, and the “Jintang Dragon Dance” was performed, which is an intangible cultural heritage of Jinjiang and recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest luminous dragon dance with a total length of 297.88 meters.
In the first match of the tournament that night, Jinjiang’s Nanyin Sports (U17) faced Malaysia’s Selangor Basketball Association (U17).
Organizers said a series of parallel events will be held during the tournament, including an Olympic-themed Lecture Series, an Asian Youth Basketball Salon, and a cultural tour of Jinjiang’s Wulin district for overseas players.
Jinjiang, a national sports industry base known as the “Footwear Capital of China,” produces approximately 1.5 billion pairs of sports shoes annually, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s total production. It is also home to internationally known sportswear brands such as Anta, Xtep and 361°. In recent years, Jinjiang has developed a comprehensive sports industry chain, covering material research and development, smart manufacturing, and event management, with the “Jinjiang Experience” as the guiding principle. According to local authorities, the tournament is expected to further enhance Jinjiang’s reputation in the sports field, encourage citizens to improve their health, and support the comprehensive development of the sports industry.
ソース：Organizing Committee of the Jinjiang Culture & Tourism Group · 2026 “Samaranch Cup” Asian Basketball Masters Invitational Tournament
