Two major amateur sports leagues are set to launch in Guangdong this year, featuring teams from the province's 21 cities. The plans for the 2026 Guangdong City Basketball League and the 2026 Guangdong City Football Super League were finalized at an organizational meeting in Guangzhou on March 2.
The basketball competition, branded "YueBA" (a play on "CBA" and Guangdong's abbreviated name "Yue"), is an upgraded version of a provincial league that began in 2015. Its first match is scheduled for March.
Teams will be divided into eastern and western zones, with ten cities, including Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Foshan, competing in the west, while eleven cities, including Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Shantou, will make up the east. The group stage will follow a home-and-away, round-robin format.
Organizers say the new YueBA aims to become a major cultural and sporting event for the region. They hope it will boost local economies and encourage public participation in sports.
Running from April to November, the Guangdong City Football Super League will be one of the province's top amateur tournaments. It will use a "one city, one home ground" system, with each of the 21 cities fielding a men's team named after the city itself. The league will start with a regular season, followed by knockout stages.
Local football groups in cities like Chaozhou and Zhuhai have already begun recruiting players. The league is designed to be more than just a sporting event—it also aims to promote local culture and tourism.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Nanfang Plus
