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E-mail Xinhua, November 29, 2024
China's first national youth games for football, basketball and volleyball, commonly known as the three "big ball games" in Chinese, officially concluded on Thursday in the city of Yueyang, central China's Hunan Province.
East China's Shandong Province emerged as the top-performing team, reaching the finals in all six events and taking home four gold medals and two silvers.
The final day of competition featured the women's basketball, women's football, and men's volleyball finals.
In the women's basketball final, Shandong, led by 17-year-old center Zhang Ziyu, who stands over 2.2 meters tall, delivered an impressive 80-59 victory over host team Hunan.
Zhang was dominant in the paint, showcasing a flawless shooting performance by making all 15 of her field goal attempts and adding 2-of-4 free throws, finishing with a game-high 32 points in just 23 minutes.
Although Hunan stayed competitive in the first half, Shandong's steady performance in the second half secured the win.
"Winning the championship is a joy. We will remain focused and strive for even greater goals," said Zhang.
She said that the public's attention she received is both a challenge and a motivator.
"Pressure pushes me to perform my best in every game. I'll continue to train hard and prepare thoroughly for future competitions," said Zhang.
In the bronze medal game, Sichuan edged out Jiangsu 74-70 in a closely fought contest to finish third.
In the men's volleyball final, Shandong rallied to win three consecutive sets (25-18, 25-23, 25-18) after losing the first set 25-18 to claim the gold. In the bronze medal match, Hunan edged out Shanghai 3-2.
The women's football final saw a tense 0-0 stalemate between Liaoning and Shandong during regular time. In extra time, Liaoning's Hou Shuyang and Mu Qiyue broke the deadlock, clinching a 2-0 victory. Meanwhile, Shanghai defeated Jiangsu 2-0 to pocket the bronze medal.
On Wednesday, Shandong took golds from men's football and women's volleyball, beating Shanghai and Jiangsu respectively. Jilin won bronze from men's football and the third place of women's volleyball went to Shanghai.
Guangdong won men's basketball final by beating Shandong. Shanghai took the bronze.
By advancing to the finals in all six events, Shandong demonstrated its strong foundation in youth sports.
"Our athletes performed outstandingly, showing great resilience and determination, and our coaches made tremendous efforts as well. These achievements are the result of Shandong's longstanding commitment to youth training in the three major ball sports," said Xu Tiejun, director of the Shandong Provincial Sports Center.
During the closing ceremony, the organizing committee announced the winners of the Sportsmanship award, as well as the MVPs and best lineups for each sport.
