This undated aerial photo shows a village basketball competition held in Kashgar Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Just as his idol Kobe Bryant did in the NBA, Hazritili Emin is pursuing his passion on the basketball court — but for this young farmer, the game is more about community than championship rings.

Hazritili is one of many hoops enthusiasts participating in a competition that recently tipped off in Bachu county, Kashgar prefecture in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Hazritili, a graduate of Xinjiang Normal University, was the star of the show in a recent game, scoring 17 points to lead his Yenge Awat village team to a 40-32 victory over a neighboring village.

"As the competition is held in my village, I couldn't wait to step on the court," he said proudly.

Nearby the court, swarming vendors sold fruit, cakes and noodles.

"In the past, when our village organized basketball games, people from other villages were unwilling to join us, but now even people living far away are willing to come to play here with us," he said.

Hazritili Emin, a graduate of Xinjiang Normal University, was the star of the show in a recent game, scoring 17 points to lead his Yenge Awat village team to a 40-32 victory over a neighboring village

In the Uygur language, Yenge Awat means "new prosperity", and the village, which has 508 households and a population of over 1,900, benefitted from the local government's financial aid, training programs and other businessfriendly policies.

Yenge Awat has witnessed a rise in livestock farming in recent years and was lifted out of poverty in 2019.

In addition, Yenge Awat has also embraced the power of the internet, with the village organizing a three-hour livestream almost every evening to promote local specialties such as walnuts and red dates.

"Through our livestreaming, more people across China have learned about our specialties, and our village's income has grown as well," said Adil Amat, a young village leader.

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As Hazritili showcased his basketball skills, Raziye Amar, a Serikbuya township official, was live-broadcasting the game on a popular short-video platform.

"After watching my live broadcast and knowing there are basketball matches in Yenge Awat, they come here to earn money," said Raziye, who often livestreams the preparation of local food on social media.

In addition, Yenge Awat has also embraced the power of the internet, with the village organizing a three-hour livestream almost every evening to promote local specialties such as walnuts and red dates

After finishing his game, Hazritili bought a watermelon nearby and shared it with his teammates.

For him, the chance to shoot hoops with his old buddies played a big part in his decision to return to Yenge Awat.

"Now that we have a decent court in our village, we are more motivated to play basketball. Young villagers prefer playing basketball to drinking and gambling," said Hazritili.

The 1.90-meter guard took up the sport in a rural primary school under the guidance of his uncle, known locally for his prowess on the court. Hazritili excelled in high-school games and later earned the chance to compete in the Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBA) league. That might be the reason why he was chosen to represent players taking an oath at the opening ceremony of his hometown competition.

Hazritili joined the armed forces as a sophomore and resumed his studies two years later. When he graduated this summer, he decided to return to Yenge Awat to run his own business, raising cattle and sheep.

Hazritili also hopes to help his village team qualify for the regional competition finals to be held in Hotan prefecture in late July

"My family started cultivating sheep in my childhood, so it's not unfamiliar to me," he said.

After setting up the cattle and sheep sheds, Hazritili applied for a 300,000 yuan ($41,480), three-year interest-free loan, aiming to house no fewer than 100 sheep and 20 cattle at the beginning.

"I hope that I can pay back the loan next year, and then I'll think about expanding the business," Hazritili said of his ranch.

Hazritili also hopes to help his village team qualify for the regional competition finals to be held in Hotan prefecture in late July.

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Perhaps a bigger goal has already taken root in his mind — to compete in the national "Gorgeous Countryside" tournament — better known as the "CunBA" or "Village BA" — in Southwest China's Guizhou province in October.