China Holds Li-Ning & Luzhou Bank Cup National Champions Invitational as Authorities Lean on Pickleball’s Community-Building Charm – Pickleball News Asia

The Li-Ning & Luzhou Bank Cup National Champions Invitational was jointly hosted by the Tennis Administration Centre under the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Tennis Association, the Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau, and the People’s Government of Luzhou.

Xu Li, Head of the Publicity Department of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee, lauded pickleball’s unique ability to bring people together, describing the sport as an important community-building platform.

“Pickleball is gradually becoming an important platform for bringing communities together, promoting public health, and driving the development of the sports industry,” said Li, who also acknowledged that the tournament provided a timely boost to the Luzhou government’s efforts to ensure high-quality urban development, as it heightened tourism activity and increased the local sports industry’s visibility.

Liu Hanquan, President of Sichuan Sports College, added that the Li-Ning & Luzhou Bank Cup National Champions Invitational showcased Sichuan’s progress in developing pickleball and served as a platform to elevate the sport’s quality and reach.

Chinese Tennis Association Deputy Secretary-General Sun Wenbing echoed Li’s and Hanquan’s views and emphasised that “invigorating cities through sports events and promoting tourism through sport” was the ultimate goal of holding the tournament in Luzhou. Wenbing also hinted that the Li-Ning & Luzhou Bank Cup National Champions Invitational could become an annual competition, with plans to make it a “high-quality, clearly structured, and widely participatory” branded tournament in the future. What’s more, he spoke of the need for “socialised, standardised, and systematic development” to better grow pickleball and ensure that it contributes to public health, social cohesion, and urban vitality.

Judging by the strong turnout and undeniable civic impact of the first-ever Li-Ning & Luzhou Bank Cup National Champions Invitational, it would not be a surprise if pickleball becomes an integral part of the community landscape not only in Luzhou and Sichuan, but also in China in general.

The strong turnout and civic impact of the Luzhou event gave a signal of how quickly pickleball is becoming a key part of China’s sports and community landscape.