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Just how big can the "Village Basketball Association" become?
“乡村篮球协会”到底能有多大？
Even hoops legend Yao Ming says he's not sure if he can get a seat.
就连篮球传奇人物姚明也表示，他不确定自己是否能买到座位。
The popularity of this year's "Village BA" was evidenced by the sold-out crowds that packed into the 30,000-capacity stands over the weekend at Taipan village in Southwest China's Guizhou province.
贵州省（黔东南州台江县台盘乡）台盘村的一项“村BA”活动火了。周末期间，可容纳3万人的看台座无虚席。
The two-day event attracted fans from across the nation to the tiny village, which has a population of about 1,200.
为期两天的活动吸引了来自全国各地的粉丝来到这个人口约1200人的小村庄。
Media also descended on Taipan, with national broadcaster cctv.com even providing a live feed.
媒体也纷纷来到台盘村，中央电视台甚至提供了现场直播。
The finals captured the imagination of netizens on Chinese social media, with the hashtags "Guizhou Village BA finals" and "People in the stands at Village BA are not photoshopped" viewed over 65 million and 14 million times respectively on Weibo by Monday afternoon.
总决赛在中国社交媒体上引发了网友们的无限遐想，截至周一（3月27日）下午，微博上“贵州村BA总决赛”和“台盘看台上的人都没有ps过”的话题点击量分别超过6500万次和1400万次。
Four teams contested this year's finals, which tipped off on Saturday.
今年的总决赛已于周六（3月25日）揭晓，四支队伍参加了角逐。
A torrential downpour forced the championship game to be rescheduled to Monday afternoon when Team Qiandongnan prevailed 68-65 against Team Zunyi.
一场倾盆大雨迫使冠军赛改在周一（3月27日）下午进行，最终黔东南队以68比65战胜遵义队。
On Sunday, Team Tongren overcame Team Bijie 57-50 to finish third.
周日（3月26日），铜仁队以57比50战胜毕节队，获得第三名。
With the teams comprised of amateur players mostly hailing from local villages and nearby cities, spectators flocked from all over the country to soak up the festival-like atmosphere.
这些球队大多由来自当地村庄和附近城市的业余球员组成，观众从全国各地涌来，沉浸在节日般的气氛中。
Apart from the action, fans enjoyed pre- and post-match parties, local markets serving food and snacks and music and dance performances that showcased local culture.
除了比赛，球迷们还享受了赛前和赛后的派对，包括当地市场提供的食物和小吃，以及展示当地文化的音乐和舞蹈表演。
Chinanews.com reported that — based on search statistics from multiple online platforms —demand for hotels, restaurants and markets in Taipan was 11 times higher than the week before the tournament.
据中新网报道，根据多个在线平台的搜索数据，台盘的酒店、餐厅和市场需求比赛前一周高出了11倍。
Over the weekend, tourist bookings at Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, where Taipan is located, were up over 140 percent compared with the same time last year.
上周末，台盘所在的黔东南苗族侗族自治州的游客预订量与去年同期相比增长了140%以上。
"Our hotels are fully booked. On the day the match schedule was revealed, all the rooms were instantly snapped up," said Zhang Shourun, who runs a hotel with about 30 rooms in Taipan.
张守润在台盘经营着一家约有30个房间的酒店，他说：“我们的酒店都订满了。比赛日程公布当天，所有的房间都被抢购一空。”
"Hotel rooms are highly sought for match days.
“在比赛日，酒店房间非常抢手。
Each year our rooms are fully booked during the tournament, but I keep the price at the same level.
每年比赛期间，我们的房间都被订满了，但我把价格保持在同一水平。
I can't just raise prices because of the Village BA.
我不能因为村BA就涨价。
It would damage the reputation of Taipan people."
这将会损害台盘人的声誉。”
But the most coveted spaces in Taipan are courtside.
台盘最令人垂涎的地方是场边。
Hours before matches begin, spectators pour into the stands to enjoy performances by local dancers and various cultural activities.
在比赛开始前几个小时，观众会涌向看台，欣赏当地舞者的表演和各种文化活动。
If you dare leave your spot for a minute, forget getting it back.
如果你敢离开你的位置一分钟，不要指望还能把座位找回来。
Spectators thus go to great lengths to hang onto their vantage points.
因此，观众们会竭尽全力抓住自己的有利位置。
"Many people even wear adult diapers so they can sit for hours in the stands. If you go to use the bathroom, your spot will be taken by others," said Xie Lingchu, who runs a shop in the village.
在村里开商店的谢凌楚说：“许多人甚至穿着成人尿布，这样他们就可以在看台上坐上几个小时。因为如果你去上厕所，位置就会被别人占据。”
"Items like small portable chairs and portable chargers are all hot commodities.
“像小型便携式椅子和便携式充电器都是热门商品。
To ensure the best view from the stands, some even buy herringbone ladders in my shop.
为了确保看台上观看效果好，有些人甚至在我的店里买了人字形梯子。
And of course, snacks and beverages are the most popular items."
当然，零食和饮料还是最受欢迎的商品。”
Village BA is about as grassroots as sports get, with matches originating from the local Chi Xin Festival, a harvest celebration on June 6 of the lunar calendar.
村BA体育运动是最草根的，比赛在农历六月六的“赤心节”举行，这是当地庆祝丰收的节日。
As part of the festival, locals would organize pick-up games until the action gradually assumed a more formal tournament structure.
作为节日的一部分，当地人会组织即兴比赛，直到活动逐渐呈现出更正式的比赛结构。
Since 2016, the local government has done its part to support grassroots basketball development.
自2016年以来，当地政府为支持基层篮球发展尽了自己的一份力。
In 2021, Guizhou province launched the "Gorgeous Countryside" campaign, which promotes development in rural China via culture, tourism and sports.
2021年，贵州省启动了“美丽乡村”活动，通过文化、旅游和体育促进中国农村的发展。
A rural basketball league was also included in the campaign, and Taipan village was chosen as a regular host for matches.
农村篮球联赛也被包括在运动中，台盘村被选为比赛的常规举办地。
Last year, videos of the games in Taipan went viral on social media, leading netizens to dub the tournament the "Village Basketball Association".
去年，台盘男篮比赛的视频在社交媒体上疯传，网友们称该赛事为“乡村篮协”。
This year, the first edition of the "Village BA" finals were staged in Taipan, now considered something of a shrine for grassroots Chinese hoops.
今年，第一届“村BA”总决赛在台盘举行，这里现在被认为是中国草根篮球的圣地。
"It's not an easy job to organize such an event. All the efforts paid off, and the deafening sound of people's cheers is the best reward," said Liu Shangbo, a local sports official who has been stationed in Taipan for over a week.
当地体育官员刘尚博已经在台盘驻扎了一个多星期，他说：“组织这样的活动不是一件容易的事情。人们震耳欲聋的欢呼声就是我们努力最好的回报。”
"We attract more and more tourists, and the facilities here are improving all the time.
“我们吸引了越来越多的游客，这里的设施也在不断改善。
Everything is on the up here.
所有东西都在上面。
The event is helping the development of the village and it motivates more people to embrace sports."
这项赛事有助于村庄的发展，并激励更多人参与体育运动。”
