TEAMS of players from across China arrived at Guilin Tourism University for the baseball and softball competitions of China’s 1st Student (Youth) Games. After a scenic hour-long drive past iconic attractions, they finally pulled into the leafy campus located in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Unbeknownst to many, this university harbors one of the most formidable names in college baseball and softball in the country. Despite facing rivals from more affluent cities and regions with greater access to resources, the university has consistently finished in the top three in the annual college tournament for six consecutive years.

“We are the only university in the region with two standard baseball and softball fields, and we have hosted multiple events at both regional and national levels,” explained Li Qi, a school official. “Our extensive experience ensures the smooth running of this year’s games.”

Baseball remains a relatively niche sport in China, despite its popularity in other parts of the world. However, in recent years, things are rapidly changing. According to a 2019 white paper by Major League Baseball (MLB), China’s baseball population exceeded 41 million, with 21 million considered active players.

“Out of that 21 million, I believe 63% of individuals became active fans within the past three years,” said Tony Qi, Managing Director of MLB China.

The rising popularity of baseball in China can be attributed, in part, to its derivatives, particularly slow-pitch softball — a slower-paced variant where the pitch is thrown in a high arc towards the batter. Another contributing factor is Baseball5, an urban co-ed version of baseball that can be played anywhere.

Slow pitch softball teams have been emerging all over China, with the “Pandas Cup” Enterprise Slow Pitch Softball League, the country’s largest organization of its kind, witnessing a nearly tripled number of participating clubs in just three years, as per an official account.

For slow-pitch enthusiast Cao Jianjun, a Beijing resident who has been managing his own softball club consisting of over two dozen parents from his son’s elementary school for more than a decade, it is exciting to witness the growing popularity of this sport across the nation.

Cao said, “We occasionally hire former national players to train us, and all of our kids participate in baseball or softball classes at school.”

Earlier this year, China achieved a commendable fifth place in the 12-team Youth Baseball5 World Cup in Türkiye, which Xie Bin, the secretary general of China Baseball Association, deemed historic.

Xie believes that the inclusion of Baseball5 as a medal event in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games has paved the way for the sport to gain greater popularity among Chinese youth. He further expressed the association’s commitment to investing more efforts into fostering this trend.

“Baseball has inevitably captivated those engaged in slow-pitch softball on a regular basis,” said Lu Quanwen, head coach of the Nanning youth softball team, who is actively involved in a program aimed at promoting the sport in local schools. “Many players in local clubs have expressed their desire to see their children learn how to play.”

Between Oct. 25 and Nov. 13, nine baseball teams and nine softball teams representing their respective cities are competing in this year’s championship game. Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xinjiang’s Shihezi, and Nanjing emerge as top contenders for the title, with many of their players having honed their skills from a young age.

Despite the strong competitors, Lu has confidence that his team will secure a spot in the top five on their home turf.

Huang Chunyan, a track and field athlete from a local sports academy, said, “I was recruited in 2021 and trained to play pitcher and first base for Nanning’s team in this year’s Youth Games. Unlike my area of expertise, baseball is a team sport with intricate rules and exciting possibilities.”

The year 2023 signifies a significant milestone for Chinese baseball and softball, as the national baseball team achieved a historic 1-0 victory over Japan during the Asian Games group stage in Hangzhou. Meanwhile, their female counterparts secured second place. Reflecting on this success, Xie said, “There is a rich history of the game here in China, and baseball embodies something cherished in our culture — the aspiration to come home.”(Xinhua)