Rural sports boom drives growth in China's countryside

Rural sports events are thriving across China, injecting new impetus into the country's rural revitalization efforts.

In Zhuji city, east China’s Zhejiang Province, the second "Village BA," a rural basketball tournament, attracted 311 village-level teams with more than 4,200 members. The tournament is expected to host 780 matches this season.

Photo shows a match at the second "Village BA" basketball tournament in Zhuji city, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo/Zhou Zhihao)

Huang Weifei, a resident of Huangshan township of Zhuji, began livestreaming basketball matches three years ago, with each session garnering an average of 70,000 to 100,000 views.

According to Yang Binbin, vice secretary-general of the competition's organizing committee, basketball has been popular among local people for a long time. Historical records show that schools in Zhuji offered basketball courses before 1911. The city now boasts 2,251 basketball courts, with nearly every village having its own team and court.

In Peixian county, east China's Jiangsu Province, football reigns supreme. The farmers' football tournament, originating from Qibao and Babao villages, has become a well-known sports event.

This year's Spring Festival saw 46 teams from Jiangsu and neighboring provinces, comprising over 1,000 players, participate in 23 matches over seven days, attracting more than 10,000 spectators daily.

Villagers in Peixian county have been organizing football matches since the 1950s. In 2019, with government support, Qibao and Babao villages built a standard football field on an abandoned piece of land. Since then, villagers have had a proper venue for football matches.

The village tournaments have boosted local development. Villager Zhang Wenqian rents a stall at the football field, earning over 1,000 yuan ($140) per game day, with even higher income during the Spring Festival.

The village football tournament has increased villagers' income. On game days, food stalls and restaurants around the football field enjoy brisk business while online and offline sales of Peixian's specialties and agricultural products also increase.

Zhang Haixiao, Party chief of Lulou township, noted that the village football tournament has opened up new avenues for local development. The area surrounding the football field, which now features spectator seats and floodlights, has seen the development of commercial streets and bed-and-breakfast hotels.

According to Zhan Xiaochun, deputy director of the education and sports bureau of Zhuji city, the "Village BA" not only facilitates the implementation of China's national fitness program but also promotes social civility in rural areas.