On the evening of October 26, the 8th Guangxi Wan Village Basketball Tournament and the Guangxi Community Sports Games kicked off in Fangchenggang City. In a unique collaboration, ASEAN international students and the local Fangchenggang representatives exchanged players to form the China-ASEAN Friendship Team and the China-ASEAN Unity Team for the competition. Additionally, on October 27, a friendly match took place in Dongxing City, featuring a basketball team from Vietnam competing against local players.
This year marks the China-ASEAN Cultural Exchange Year, with the event welcoming representatives from ASEAN countries. The basketball games serve as a platform for trade and cultural interaction, enhancing sports and cultural exchanges between Guangxi and ASEAN nations while continuing a long-standing friendship.
Former national basketball player and member of the Chinese Basketball Hall of Fame, Hu Weidong, officiated the opening game. Reflecting on the event, he emphasized that “sports have no borders.” Recognizing the proximity of Fangchenggang to Vietnam, he suggested inviting Vietnamese basketball fans to Guangxi for the “Village BA” event, promoting friendship through sports and skill exchange. He expressed hope that this tournament would draw more attention to rural development.
In recent years, Fangchenggang City has been actively improving its public service system for 全民健身 (national fitness). Chen Wenzhi, deputy director of the Fangchenggang Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Sports, and Tourism, noted that the region has hosted the Vietnam-Mang Street Lantern Festival football friendly match for 29 years and will soon hold the China-ASEAN Marathon, expecting participation from 20,000 individuals.
The Guangxi Wan Village Basketball Tournament has gained popularity, igniting a fitness craze across the region. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan, Guangxi has allocated approximately 1.1 billion yuan to support the construction of 1,430 sports facilities. Currently, sports facilities in communities and administrative villages cover 100% of the region, establishing a preliminary fitness circle within a 15-minute reach for urban communities.
The 8th Guangxi Wan Village Basketball Tournament’s city-level event is co-hosted by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region’s Publicity Department, Sports Bureau, Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission, Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Commerce Department, Culture and Tourism Department, and the People’s Government of Fangchenggang City.
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