The 2026 Qinghai “QingBA” grassroots basketball tournament finals opened on October 16 at the Qinghai Sports Center Comprehensive Gymnasium, featuring 130 athletes across eight regional teams competing in a 20-game schedule over five days, according to zhaowens.com.

Eight Teams Advance Through Regional Preliminaries

The tournament field represents the culmination of a five-tier competition structure spanning villages, townships, counties, and cities/prefectures across the province. Eight elite squads survived the selection process to reach the tournament. More than 130 players gathered for the five-day championship slate, which aims to crown the provincial “QingBA” champion.

Provincial Sports Bodies and Local Governments Back the Event

The organizing committee brings together multiple regional and provincial departments to manage the amateur competition. Operational duties fall to the Xining City Sports Bureau and the Huangnan Prefecture Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television and Sports, with support from the Qinghai Basketball Association, Qinghai Dingjian Sports Industry Co., Ltd., and the Huangnan Basketball Association.

Grassroots Sports Meet Rural Revitalization Goals

Organizers frame the “QingBA” circuit as a core pillar of rural sports revitalization and the broader push for a high-altitude sports powerhouse province. The tournament works alongside the provincial farmers’ and herdsmen’s basketball leagues to build local athletic culture and unearth rural talent and referees. Beyond the hardwood, the framework integrates folk culture exhibitions and local agricultural product promotions to stimulate regional commerce and inter-ethnic exchange among Qinghai’s diverse communities.

Tournament Schedule and Format

The 20-game tournament runs over five days at the comprehensive venue within the Qinghai Sports Center. Teams compete in a high-intensity schedule designed to provide recreational engagement for local sports fans during the autumn-winter transition period.