Guyuan's 2026 'Rural Vitalization Cup' Village BA wraps up

The women's basketball team make its debut at the municipal Village BA tournament. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2026 Guyuan "Rural Vitalization Cup" Municipal Basketball Tournament, also known as Village BA, concluded at Guyuan Gymnasium, Ningxia Hui autonomous region on May 9. 

After five days of intense competition, the Yuanzhou district Team One and the Xinglong town team from Xiji county won the women's and men's championships, respectively.

In the women's final, the Yuanzhou district Team One took on Jingyuan county, in an exciting matchup. Playing with grit and determination, Yuanzhou pulled off a 68-56 win to claim the championship trophy. 

The men's basketball players fight hard in the final. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

This was followed by the men's final, where Xinglong town faced Jiqiang town in a thrilling showdown. It marked the first time Xiji county swept the top two spots in the municipal Village BA tournament, with Xinglong eventually sealing the victory at 64-58.

All prizes for this year's tournament were locally sourced agricultural specialties. In addition to medals, the first-place teams each won a beef cattle valued at 10,000 yuan ($1,471.61), while the second and third-place teams received sheep valued at 8,000 yuan and Liupan Mountain agricultural specialties worth 5,000 yuan, respectively.

Alongside the games, the event featured five agricultural product displays, an intangible cultural heritage and creative crafts zone, and 10 food tasting stalls, showcasing rural specialties in agriculture, culture, and tourism. While enjoying the basketball action, spectators could immerse themselves in Guyuan's local culture, taste signature dishes, and shop for quality farm products.