Teams of the 2023 Yonex Cup Chinese Badminton Invitation Tournament pose for a photo. Photos from WeChat account "pingshanfb"

The 2023 Yonex Cup Chinese Badminton Invitation Tournament was held at the Pingshan Sports Center on Aug. 19-21. The Zhejiang, Fujian, and Shenzhen teams claimed the championship, runner-up, and second runner-up positions, respectively.

Hosted by the Chinese Badminton Association, Pingshan District People’s Government and Yonex Sports (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., the tournament gathered eight teams: Shenzhen, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shandong, Tianjin-Jiangxi United, GBA-Shanxi United and two Yonex teams.

As a national-level badminton event, the invitation tournament attracted a large number of badminton athletes and university students from Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tongji University to participate. Adopting a mixed team competition format, the tournament featured five events: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

Cheers and applause from the audience created a vibrant atmosphere in the three-day tournament. With the enthusiastic support of the audience, the players showcased their skills to the fullest. “Of course, I support the Shenzhen team in our home city,” said a citizen surnamed Zhang. “During every match of the Shenzhen team, cheers were particularly loud. Every time the Shenzhen team scored, there was an explosion of enthusiastic cheers.”

Athelets compete during the 2023 Yonex Cup Chinese Badminton Invitation Tournament.

“It’s very exciting to watch such a high-level event in Pingshan,” said another citizen surnamed Zheng. During the competition, he couldn’t contain his excitement and repeatedly cheered for his favorite athletes.

The competition not only attracted fans in Shenzhen but also many supporters who traveled from Dongguan and Huizhou. “I enjoy playing badminton, so it’s a rare opportunity to watch such a high-level match up close,” said an audience member surnamed Ou, who traveled from Huizhou to watch the game.

In addition to attending the matches, the athletes also joined a diverse range of activities in Pingshan. On Aug. 21 morning, over 20 athletes visited the 300-year-old Dawan Ancestral Residence, the largest Hakka compound in the country with a history of over 300 years, and the Pingshan Dongjiang Column Memorial Hall, a patriotic education base, allowing them to experience the rich cultural heritage of Pingshan.

In recent years, Pingshan has hosted a variety of badminton events, with thrilling competitions taking place almost year-round, including the “Shenzhen Cup” Amateur Badminton League and the Pingshan District Citizen Sports Festival Badminton League. Other sports have also recently sparked a growing interest. Since the beginning of this year, the first “Innovative Pingshan Cup” Shenzhen Subdistrict Soccer Tournament has become a hot topic, and the China Tennis Tour CTA800 Pingshan Station was successfully held in April. These events have provided locals with opportunities to watch top-level games while simultaneously igniting their enthusiasm for fitness.

Players compete during the China Tennis Tour CTA800 Pingshan Station in April.