Nearly 700 participants from 26 teams join Guangzhou's dedicated effort to build a city-wide pickleball club league.

On April 10, it was announced at the media briefing for the 2026 GPCL Guangzhou Pickleball Club City League held at the Guangzhou Asian Games Sports Culture Center: Guangzhou's first large-scale, club-based pickleball mass event will officially commence on April 18. Currently, the grouping placements for the 26 participating clubs have been determined through an open draw, and the event preparations are entering their final stage.

This league is guided by the Guangzhou Sports Federation and the Guangzhou Mass Sports Guidance Center, jointly organized by the Guangzhou Pickleball Association and Guangzhou Culture & Sports Industry Co., Ltd., with cooperative support from the Guangzhou Sports Lottery Management Center. The tournament adopts a "home-and-away double round-robin + group advancement" format. The 26 teams are divided into 6 groups, with the top teams from Groups A, B, C, and D directly advancing to the finals stage; the top two teams from Groups E and F also qualify for the finals stage. The regular season consists of 10 rounds totaling 88 matches. All matches will be held across multiple venues throughout the city. The first round kicks off on April 18, and the entire regular season is expected to last two months. Notably, this event has lowered the participation threshold, allowing both "new beginners" and pickleball "masters" the opportunity to compete and exchange skills on the same court. Many beginners are enthusiasts transitioning from badminton, tennis, or table tennis, which significantly increases the suspense and趣味性 of the competition.

“We aim to create a mass sports platform where 'there are matches every week and everyone can play,'” said the organizing committee负责人.

According to介绍, this league has attracted 26 club teams from across the city, involving nearly 700 athletes, coaches, and team staff. Participants include long-standing业余高手 as well as pickleball enthusiasts from communities, enterprises, and universities, with ages ranging from 18 to over 60. There are also registrations from compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and foreign players, fully reflecting the event's理念 of "all-age友好 and全民参与."

It was also learned that the league will collaborate with local community sports parks and commercial sports venues, making it convenient for citizens to watch or participate near their homes. The organizing committee负责人 stated, “We hope through this platform to推动 pickleball from a 'trendy sport' to truly becoming a 'daily sport,' allowing more Guangzhou residents to gain health and happiness through playing.”同时, the league will also explore new models of "sports +文旅" and "sports +消费,"助力 Guangzhou in building a world-class sports city.