Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China – on 28th July, approximately 300 female student players from 22 teams on behalf of 16 provinces and municipalities who are qualified from previous competition of this season have assembled in Inner Mongolia Normal University for the national finals in Division I Women’s Category. The girls will fight for the highest honor of this season. These matches kicked off the resumption of Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBA) after 143 days hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On and off the court, the players will not only fight with their components, but also fight with the coronavirus. Anyway, the resumption of the university matches in China is a positively sign of the battle with the pandemic in China since its outbreak from the beginning of 2020. 

Over the past two decades, CUBA has grown up to be one of FUSC (Federation of Unviersity Sports of China)’s top-flight leagues. It is classified into 3 Divisions, namely, Division I, Division II and Division III, for both Men and Women’s Categories. The whole season includes 3 phases, provincial (municipal) matches, sub-regional qualifier and national finals. Annually, about 1,600 teams from 32 provinces, municipality, and autonomous regions will participate in CUBA. While, for reducing the risks brought by the pandemic, the competition system in 2020 was adapted.

However, the journey to restart of the games is not easy to achieve at all in Pandemic situation. In order to ensure the smooth operation of all games, top national pandemic medical experts, some of whom ever joined in the anti-pandemic battle in Wuhan, are involved to establish a rigorous medical protocol ,－including repeated disinfection measures in all venues, nucleic testing, strict quarantine, access control, etc. Players in all participating teams are required to take nucleic acid tests two times before their opening games. All teams will have to stay in a designated hotel and can only travel between the hotel, the sterilized competition arena and training facilities isolated from the public, according to the protocol. Throughout the competition, all the people involved will take temperature twice a day. All the games will not open for spectators. In order to create a live and interactive atmosphere, online videos link with fans are set up and audio recordings simulating crowd reactions will be played at the competition venues.

All of these changes along with all prevention and control measures is to put the health and safety all the people involved in the games at top priority.

Tough and rigorous, the measures are, however, all student basketball players are thrilled to come back to court. “It is very exciting and encouraging for our players to step on the competition court again after months of waiting, all of them have been training very hard and can’t wait to make a comeback”, said both head coaches.

“The resumption of the games, at this difficult moment of health crisis, is more than inspiring students in China and Asia to realize their dreams and build up their health, but reinforcing their confidence to conquer the pandemic”, adds President of Asian University Sports Federation, and Vice president of FUSC XUE, Yanqing. It is expected more games will be staged in second half of the year following the example of CUBA in China and beyond.                           

Division I Men’s finals will be held later in August in Xiamen, China. See you then!

（Source: FUSC）