The 2026 National Pickleball Championship kicked off in Hebi, Henan, with nearly 500 participants from 33 teams from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao.

China News Service, Hebi, Henan, September 3 (Reporter Han Zhangyun) The 2026 National Pickleball Championship kicked off on the 3rd in Hebi, Henan, the "City of Pickleball in China". 33 teams and nearly 500 athletes and coaches from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions participated.

This championship has two major sections: individual competition and team competition. The individual competition covers five events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

On September 3, the 2026 National Pickleball Championship kicked off in Hebi, Henan. Photo by China News Service reporter Han Zhangyun

Accurate volleys and quick saves... On the 3rd, Macau team member Chen Zining cooperated well with his teammates and performed well, winning applause from the audience. He told reporters that although it was his first time to compete in Hebi, he did not feel unfamiliar. The Qihe River described in the Book of Songs and the story of the Fengshenbang he had heard since childhood were all related to this place. Chen Zining noticed that there were many high-level players participating, and he hoped to have more discussions and exchanges with everyone.

The Hong Kong team is a strong pickleball team and won the 2025 National Pickleball Championship team championship. Mai Langxin, the team leader who led the team for the second time, said that this year there are more teams participating and the athletes are stronger, which proves that pickleball is developing rapidly in various places. Especially in Hebi, there are a large number of pickleball courts and signs on the streets and parks.

Pickleball was born in the United States in 1965. It combines the sports characteristics of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It has the characteristics of small venue, light equipment, low threshold, and high fun. It has gradually emerged in China in recent years. As the "City of Pickleball in China", Hebi pickleball has developed rapidly and more than 1,600 pickleball courts have been built.

This championship is jointly sponsored by the Tennis Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Tennis Association, the Henan Sports Federation, and the Hebi Municipal Government. (over)