Original title: FIBA 3-person Basketball Open National Finals concluded in Dongguan (title)
Sports events add color to the city (theme)
People’s Daily reporter He Linping
Recently, the FIBA 3-person Basketball Open National Finals was held in Dongguan, Guangdong, with 24 teams competing. Fierce fighting and precise shooting set off one climax after another. In the end, two teams from Guangdong won the championship in the men’s and women’s categories and got tickets to the global finals in Geneva, Switzerland.
Prior to this, the FIBA 3-person Basketball Open was held in 12 major competition regions and 46 cities across the country, with approximately 1,600 teams and 6,400 basketball players participating. The excitement of the competition is evident.
Why did the national finals come to Dongguan?
Dongguan is a famous “National Basketball City” that has introduced, trained and transported many national basketball players and well-known coaches over the years. In the finals, guests such as Li Jinsheng, former director of the Basketball Management Center of the State Sports General Administration, were present to help out. “Dongguan has rich experience in hosting games and hosted the Men’s Basketball World Cup in 2019.” Li Jinsheng said, “The staff are very professional and the schedule arrangement and logistical support are well done.”
The final attracted many citizens to watch the game, and the venue was packed with spectators. Even outside the stadium guardrail and the overpass were full of spectators. “Many parents bring their children to watch the game, which makes me see the power of inheritance.” Chinese basketball star Zheng Haixia said with emotion, “This is not only a game day for the players, but also a festival for the fans.”
Compared with five-a-side basketball, three-a-side basketball has a fast pace, quick transitions between offense and defense, and the atmosphere on the court is more exciting. Song Xiaobo, director of the Youth Committee of the Chinese Basketball Association, admires the style of grassroots athletes. “Three-person basketball is very street style and very fashionable. I hope this sport can attract more people to take action.”
High-profile events not only promote the progress of Dongguan’s basketball career, but also drive the development of the tourism industry. Watching games, going shopping, checking in at attractions… more and more people are switching from “watching a game” to “touring a city”, and Dongguan’s event economy is bursting with vitality.
