The team from Dongyang county-level city in Jinhua prepares for the Zhejiang Provincial Basketball League. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]

Basketball players across Jinhua in Zhejiang province began intensive training on July 8 in preparation for the Zhejiang Provincial Basketball League, one of the province's highest-level amateur competitions scheduled from July 2025 to February 2026.

The event will feature teams from all 11 prefecture-level cities and 90 counties and districts competing through qualifying rounds followed by a championship phase.

The Jinhua qualifiers will run from July 14 to 20. On opening night, the team from Dongyang county-level city will face Yiwu county-level city.

The Dongyang team consists of players from all walks of life including college students and corporate employees. The youngest member, Zhang Junyi, is only 19 years old. "It's a great honor for me to participate in such a high-profile competition for the first time and represent my hometown," he said.

The team from Wuyi county also comprises basketball enthusiasts from diverse sectors aged from 18 to 38. The team members exuded confidence ahead of the debut match on July 15. "We will play our best and fully show the strength of our Wuyi team," said player Zheng Bowen.

Jinhua Economic and Technological Development Zone started preparations earlier on July 7. Its team will compete against the team of Lanxi county-level city on July 14.

Assistant Coach Yang Weiming said they plan to train for three hours every day until the competition. "Though we're amateurs, our passion for basketball and our desire to win will offer a thrilling performance for spectators," he added.