The Guardians of Village Basketball

"Our 'race car' blazed down the court and effortlessly penetrated the paint area."

"What a graceful shot."

"The ball drops！ Two points."

"And there it is， folks！ Team Qiandongnan clinches the victory！"

……

On the night of March 22， 2024， under the bright moon and twinkling stars， Wang Zaigui energetically delivered his commentary with a distinctive local accent at an exhilarating Village Basketball Association （VBA） game. His announcement of the victory echoed through the stadium， eliciting cheers from fans.

Caught up in the jubilant atmosphere， Wang pumped his fist in the air in celebration. Finally lowering his hand to his chest， he naturally glanced to his left， noticing his uniformed fellow police officers steadfastly maintaining order amidst the lively spectators.

As the game ended and the effervescent crowd began to disperse from the venue， Wang soon suppressed his emotions. He picked up the microphone and delivered departure instructions in a low-pitched voice.

The inaugural nationwide VBA games began in the spring of 2024 in Taipan Village of Taijiang County in the Qiandongnan Prefecture of Guizhou Province. It marked the beginning of an exciting basketball journey for all involved.

Without the extensive media coverage， few would have known of Wang Zaigui's multiple identities. In addition to his roles as the initiator and commentator of the VBA games， he also serves as an auxiliary police officer at the Taipan Police Station of the Taijiang County Public Security Bureau.

Throughout the three-month-long VBA season， a total of 247 games were staged， each attracting more than ten thousand  fans. Juggling his roles as both commentator and officer， Wang Zaigui tirelessly dedicated himself to ensuring public safety alongside 166 auxiliary officers， 140 police cadets， and 100 security guards. Thanks to their collective efforts， the season concluded without a single incident of crime or public security concern. This allowed fans and tourists alike to immerse themselves in the pure enjoyment of basketball in Taipan.

Wang and his fellow officers' dedication earned recognition from both basketball enthusiasts and online communities， who viewed the officers in their navy-blue uniforms as the guardians of safety during the VBA games. Their presence ensured the smooth and orderly operation of the events， providing a sense of enjoyment and security for the public.

A visiting VBA fan， who had received assistance from the officers when encountering difficulties， romantically described the VBA games as embellished with the color navy blue.

Part One

Taipan residents' passion for basketball dates back a long way.

As early as the 1940s， the locals in the strategically located Taipan Village encountered basketball.

Unyielding in the face of challenges， they transformed a flat patch of land into a court， erected four poles to support a backboard， crafted a basket from woven bamboo splints， marked the dividing lines with limestone， and fashioned a basketball from bundled cotton and linen.

No deprivation of resources could dampen the locals' love for basketball.

When passion becomes ingrained in the soul， it evolves into a cultural heritage.

Immersed in the cultural heritage for more than eight decades， the locals can't imagine life without basketball. Sportsmanship has enhanced the locals' collaboration， courage， and perseverance. They are embracing a more prosperous life and embarking on a new journey to revitalize rural areas while elevating the VBA into a premier cultural asset in China.

"I've been playing basketball since I was a little kid， alongside my father and his peers，" reminisced Wang， a 26-year-old with 18 years of basketball experience. "I can still vividly recall how， after just one game， the limestone court lines would fade away， and the cotton-made basketball would start to fray." In 2016， he suffered a dislocated elbow during a game， which became a recurring problem after he returned prematurely to the court. However， he acted as a commentator on the sidelines， thereby staying connected with the basketball world. Recalling old memories filled his sun-tanned face with untold joy and happiness.

In Taipan， the essence of sportsmanship and cultural heritage extends beyond the basketball court to the daily lives and work of the locals.

In 2017， Wang Zaigui was drafted into the army， where his exceptional performance earned him the prestigious title of "Model Soldier". After retiring from the army in 2019， he began serving as an auxiliary officer at the Taijiang County Public Security Bureau， while also delving into the world of the VBA. One day， a report came into the Taipan Police Station about a dispute near the entrance of the Creative Park in Taipan Township. Wang swiftly rushed to the scene equipped. After consoling the tourist concerned in Putonghua （standard Mandarin Chinese）， he then consoled the local party in the dispute by saying， "Tourists are like guests in our home， deserving of our hospitality." Leveraging his eloquence as a basketball commentator， he mediated the dispute with finesse， ultimately guiding both sides to reconciliation. Later that afternoon， to Wang's surprise， both parties visited the station bearing a banner and remarked， "Police officers are the cornerstone of our sense of security."