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On October 17, South China Normal University (SCNU) hosted the Bonding Through Sport, Connecting Through the Heart: 2026 China-U.S. Elite University Student Pickleball Invitational at its University Town campus, the core event of the Guangzhou stop of 2026 U.S. University Student Pickleball People-to-People Exchange China Tour.
Co-hosted by the China Center for People-to-People Exchange of the Ministry of Education, SCNU, and the Art Chinese Students and Scholars Association, with support from the China Science and Technology Development Foundation, the event brought together 31 faculty members and students from the United States and more than 40 Chinese students, as well as representatives from sister universities and volunteers to join the sports competition and have an immersive cultural and tech experience. It also built a valuable platform for Chinese and U.S. youths to deepen mutual understanding and forge friendships.
Participants rotated in groups to learn traditional ethnic sports, such as long-short weapons, archery, and the lion dance, explore sports technology with hands-on access to smart sports gear and human movement science exhibits, and experience Lingnan intangible heritage crafts by making lion dance paper-cut souvenirs.
A round table discussion was also organized for the young Chinese and American participants to exchange views on cross-cultural understanding and technological development.
The pickleball invitational kicked off in the afternoon, with senior officials, scholars, students and teachers from China and the United States attending.
Wang Hengyin, Secretary of the CPC Committee of SCNU, gave a speech at the opening ceremony of the invitational. He hoped that the youths of the two countries would feel the vitality of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through the sports competition, enhance mutual understanding, and serve as young ambassadors of China-US friendship.
Zhang Xueren, deputy director of the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, said that these types of events tie China-US relations together by nurturing friendships and inter-civilization mutual learning.
Jacqueline Lopez, a member of the U.S. delegation, thanked the event organizers, faculty members, students and volunteers for their thoughtful preparation and warm reception. She hoped that this event would serve as an opportunity to deepen exchanges between Chinese and U.S. universities and that the seeds of friendship sown in Guangzhou will take root and flourish in the future.
Chinese student representative Zhu Aijia said pickleball is a shared language on the court and that the brilliant shots and high-fives after winning points have closely connected young people from all over the world. She hoped all participants would gain not only tournament experience but also genuine friendship.
U.S. student representative Milca Velasquez shared her experiences during the China visit, saying she felt privileged to join the invitational and hopeful that sports can serve as a link for on-court competition and off-court friendship.
Vice president of SCNU Wang Chunchao, together with officials from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, presented commemorative certificates to the participants, bringing the tournament to a successful close.
As one of the first batch of International Youth Pickleball People-to-People Exchange Bases nationwide and the only one among normal university, SCNU has developed a full-chain pickleball talent system covering teaching, research, training and competition. Through this invitational, SCNU aims to explore an integrated “sports-technology-humanities” model for youth people-to-people exchanges to support the national agenda of China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges.
Source from Office of International Exchange and Cooperation
Translated by Li Shiyao, Lin Huiru
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Jianru
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