Hechi hosts 12th high school student basketball tournament

The 12th Hechi High School Basketball Tournament kicked off in Jinchengjiang district on June 15.

Zhai Hongling, vice-mayor of Hechi, announced the official launch of the event and watched the opening matches on site.

The eight-day tournament gathers 59 teams from high schools and secondary vocational schools across the city.

The men's division has 32 teams, 24 from regular high schools and eight from vocational institutions. The women's division consists of 27 teams, 22 from high school and five from vocational schools.

High school girls' teams take to the court. [Photo provided to guangxi.chinadaily.com.cn/hechi]

The opening ceremony began with a lion dance, modern dance, cheerleading, freestyle basketball with street dance and flag calisthenics. All participating players marched into the arena in high spirits.

Two opening matches followed the ceremony. Bama High took on Du'an High in the women's fixture, and Hechi High played Yizhou High in the men's. Fast plays, sharp three-pointers and solid defense drew constant cheers from the crowd.

A player from Du'an High said the team is committed to adhering to the tournament regulations and will strive for excellence in every game. Lu Song, chairman of the city's basketball association, called the tournament a key campus sports event that encourages students to step out of classrooms to build fitness and resilience, and creates a platform for the inter-school exchanges across the city through basketball.