On the afternoon of August 24, the gateball finals of the 15th National Games kicked off fiercely in Shenzhen, Guangdong. The Anhui provincial team performed steadily and fought bravely, defeating Sichuan 22–10 in the Mixed Five-a-side Group C match to claim the championship. This is the first gold medal in gateball since the sport was included in the National Games program this year, and it is Anhui’s second gold medal at the current National Games. Later, in the Mixed Five-a-side Group B match, the Anhui team beat Beijing 24–11 to take third place.

Gateball’s inclusion in the 15th National Games has greatly energized gateball enthusiasts and opened up broad development prospects and new opportunities for the sport. Anhui actively selected outstanding athletes to compete; these competitors are not only experienced but also have achieved excellent results, earning strong rankings in provincial and national competitions over the past five years. For example, Liu Aoyun, Wang Bo, and Zhu Hao—who took part in the Mixed Five-a-side Group C match—were champions of Group A at the 2025 National Youth Gateball Tournament.

Gateball has a relatively long history in Anhui, having begun to be promoted and popularized in the 1980s. After years of development, the province now has some 20,000 people involved in gateball as practitioners, coaches, referees, and athletes, providing a solid foundation for the sport’s growth across the province.

Source: Anhui Daily