Published: 11:51, August 31, 2026 | Updated: 12:19, August 31, 2026
Cross-Strait youth baseball tournament highlights lasting ties
By Wang Zhan
Participants of Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Baseball Friendship Tournament pose for a group photo in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Aug 30, 2026. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

GUANGZHOU — The third Cross-Strait (Guangzhou) Youth Sports Carnival continued on Sunday with the 2026 Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Baseball Friendship Tournament in Nansha District.

Four teams, made up of more than 70 young athletes from Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, competed on the diamond, demonstrating smooth offensive and defensive transitions, excellent base-running, and strong teamwork throughout the matches. Crisp swings and full-effort sprints from players drew cheers and applause from the audience.

The Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Baseball Friendship Tournament is held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Aug 30, 2026. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Participants said the event helped them improve their skills while also building lasting friendships across the sea.

“We met many baseball-loving friends. On the field we were rivals, but off the field we had endless topics to talk about. We hope to keep in touch and play more games in the future,” one athlete said.

The Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Baseball Friendship Tournament is held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Aug 30, 2026. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The tournament featured a “sports + culture + technology” model.

Alongside the games, the young athletes also experienced Nansha’s distinctive offerings, including a visit to Nansha Tianhou Palace facing the Lingdingyang Sea to appreciate traditional culture, a tour of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center, and test-rides on Pony.ai autonomous vehicles. They also toured smart manufacturing automobile assembly lines to gain a firsthand insight into the area’s technological and industrial development.

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The Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Baseball Friendship Tournament is held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Aug 30, 2026. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)