The finals for the second "Beautiful Countryside" basketball league in Southwest China's Guizhou Province kicked off in Taipan village, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, on Wednesday. The grassroots organization, known as the "Village Basketball Association" or "VBA," has drawn wide cheers from enthusiastic audiences due to its down-to-earth style.

本周三，备受瞩目的贵州省黔西南州第二届“美丽乡村”篮球联赛总决赛在黔东南苗族侗族自治州的台盘村隆重揭幕。这个由民间自发组织的“乡村篮球协会”或亲切地称之为“VBA”的赛事，凭借其独特的乡土气息，赢得了观众们的热烈喝彩。

The finals, which will be broadcast live online to audiences across the country, will last until Saturday. The basketball league has organized more than 4,000 amateur basketball teams, with a total of 48,730 participants. A total of 11,455 games have been played, reaching 7.52 million people, according to the Qiandongnan authorities.

此次决赛将持续至周六，届时将通过网络直播的形式，将精彩赛事传递给全国观众。整个篮球联赛共汇聚了四千余支业余篮球队，参赛人数高达48730人。据黔东南州相关部门统计，赛事共进行了万余场比赛，吸引了752万人次的观众前来观战。

The group stages are being held on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by an opening ceremony and semi-finals on Friday. The finals for the championship will take place on Saturday, an official from the Guizhou provincial sports bureau told the Global Times on Wednesday.

小组赛于周三和周四进行得如火如荼，而周五则迎来了隆重的开幕式和半决赛。贵州省体育局的一位官员在周三接受《环球时报》采访时透露，锦标赛的决赛将于周六上演。

Nine representative teams from Guizhou will participate in the competition, which is divided into two stages. Meanwhile, the participating athletes must be local residents aged between 22 and 45 years old, said the authorities.

本次比赛共有九支来自贵州的代表队参与角逐，赛事分为两个阶段进行。为确保比赛的公平性和地方特色，参赛运动员均为年龄在22至45岁之间的当地居民。

The VBA has not only "boosted the growth of sports in the area" but has also contributed to "advancing rural revitalization, tourism, and local economic development," the official said. The local authorities hope to provide the public with excellent and diverse services that cater to the people's needs, encouraging more people to participate in sports and contributing to building a healthy China, he noted.

这位官员表示，VBA不仅推动了当地体育事业的蓬勃发展，还为乡村振兴、旅游业和地方经济的繁荣做出了积极贡献。他强调，当地政府致力于提供丰富多样的体育服务，以满足人民群众的需求，并鼓励更多人参与到体育运动中来，共同为建设健康中国贡献力量。

Distinctive Miao cultural performances are also being staged during intermissions.

值得一提的是，比赛的中场休息期间，还安排了独具苗族特色的文化表演，为观众带来了一场视听盛宴。

The VBA may not have professional players, referees, or large-scale venues like the NBA, but the enthusiasm of spectators for basketball is very strong. Since July 2022, the grassroots basketball league gained popularity due to its lively atmosphere and videos that went viral online.

虽然VBA没有NBA那样的职业球员、专业裁判和大型场馆，但观众对篮球的热爱与热情却丝毫不减。自2022年7月以来，这个草根篮球联赛凭借其独特氛围和在网络上广泛传播的视频，迅速走红，吸引了众多关注。

A three-day VBA in 2023 also attracted more than 180,000 tourist trips to Taijiang county in Qiandongnan, generating tourism revenue of 55.16 million yuan ($7.59 million).

为期三天的2023年VBA赛事更是吸引了超过18万人次游客前往黔东南州台江县观光旅游，为当地带来了高达5516万元的旅游收入，折合约为759万美元。

A staff member surnamed Yang from the local Taijiang tourism bureau told the Global Times on Wednesday that the event has helped boost the number of tourists traveling to the region.

台江县旅游局的一位杨姓工作人员在接受《环球时报》采访时表示，这项活动极大地提升了当地的旅游人气，为地方经济注入了新的活力。

"The level of enthusiasm for and attention paid to basketball is high among the general public. Thanks to local grassroots initiatives, there is a high level of cooperation and participation in village basketball games," Yang said.

他进一步指出：“普通民众对篮球运动的热爱和关注非常高。得益于当地基层的积极组织和广泛参与，乡村篮球赛已经成为了当地一项备受瞩目的文化盛事。赛事的合作度和参与度都非常高，充分展现了乡村篮球的独特魅力。“

The VBA was originated in Taipan village in Taijiang county. A traditional rural basketball event in the village, it is held as part of the annual celebration of the Chixin Festival on the sixth day of the sixth month of the traditional Chinese calendar.

乡村篮球赛起源于台江县台盘村，作为该村的一项传统农村篮球活动，每年农历六月初六都会如期举行，成为庆祝吃新节的重要组成部分。这项赛事不仅丰富了村民的文化生活，也促进了乡村文化的传承与发展。

编辑 | ETTBL商务英语翻译

翻译｜Romola