This "battle basketball team" during the Anti Japanese War once played invincible games in the northwest border area of Shanxi province

Pursuing the Red Sports Footprint: Over 80 Years of Echoes from the Battle Basketball Team

On September 3rd, the Victory Memorial Day of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Jin Sui Border Region Revolutionary Memorial Hall located in Xing County, Lvliang City, Shanxi Province, once again welcomed a wave of visits. An old photo of a basketball game in the museum occasionally attracts passing tourists to stop.

Tourists visiting the Revolutionary Memorial Hall in the Jin Sui Border Region

This is an old photo of the battle basketball team of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army playing against the Lijiawan basketball team in Xingxian County. In the photo, two players jump up high, stretch their arms, and compete for the basketball in the air, highlighting the tension and excitement of the game.

During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army led by He Long established an anti Japanese base in northwest Shanxi. In addition to fighting and engaging in production, the troops also vigorously carried out sports activities, with the "Battle Basketball Team" being the most famous.

In the book "A General History of Chinese Sports" edited by Cui Lequan and others, it is recorded that "in early 1938, an amateur basketball team was formed by the officials and soldiers of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, as well as the cadres and soldiers of the division's directly affiliated teams. They had a long reputation in the anti Japanese base areas and liberated areas... Not only did they play in the northwest border areas of Shanxi without opponents, but they also defeated another basketball powerhouse in the anti Japanese base areas - the Donggan team twice. In 1940, the combat basketball team defeated all the strong teams in Yan'an and finally defeated the basketball representative team composed of various units in Yan'an with a score of 95:20."

120th Division "Battle Basketball Team" vs "Donggan Basketball Team" Match

Driven by the "battle basketball team", soldiers, militia, and the masses in the base areas all participated in basketball sports.

Li Gaobin, a 90 year old villager from Lijiawan Village, still remembers that when the headquarters of the 120th Division was stationed in the village, soldiers often played basketball on an open land on the riverbank. Flatten the ground, nail up the ball rack with wooden poles and boards, hang a simple basket, and you will have a court.

"The people in the village have never seen basketball before. They all started playing with the army." Li Gaobin recalled that he had also played on the court, but "couldn't beat others," so he could only "fight and surround.".

The Eighth Route Army and the "Battle Basketball Team" sowed the seeds of basketball in the old areas. After the troops left, this sport has flourished in Xingxian until now. Time flies, and over 80 years have shrouded the past in a few black and white photos and memories of the few remaining elderly people. However, dreams and love have been passed down from generation to generation on this land at the foot of Mount Lvliang, and still resonate to this day.

Li Gaobin tells the story of the "Battle Basketball Team"

65 year old Li Jisheng is the son of Li Gaobin and was a member of the Li Jiawan basketball team when he was young. He recalled that in the 1970s and 1980s, the Lijiawan basketball team was famous in Xing County and even the entire Lvliang area. "At that time, everyone in the village loved playing ball. We worked in the fields during the day, formed teams to practice ball at night, went out to compete during our leisure time, and even won several championships in major competitions."

Li Wenkai, who is 31 years old, used to watch his parents play football on the sidelines when he was a child. Nowadays, despite his busy work schedule, he still maintains the habit of playing football. "I saw off my child in the morning and went to the court. After playing, it was around 8 o'clock and I was on my way to work."

At the recently concluded "National Fitness Day" basketball tournament in Xingxian County in 2023, the representative team of Caijiaya Village named after the "Battle Basketball Team" achieved a good result of third place. Zhang Xingyong, Vice Chairman of the Xingxian Basketball Association, told reporters that villages such as Caijiaya and Lijiawan have always preserved basketball traditions, and the Caijiaya Village basketball team is still active to this day.

On site of the 2023 National Fitness Day basketball game in Xingxian County

"Due to its historical heritage, the basketball atmosphere in Xing County is very strong and the public foundation is very good." Zhang Xingyong said that in recent years, the county has held basketball competitions every year, with more than 20 participating teams and a large number of spectators. The scene is often crowded. "The referee went out to use the restroom during halftime and was so crowded that he couldn't walk back. He had to rely on whistling and showing his work permit to come back."

Xing County basketball enthusiast Zhang Hujun told reporters that in Xing County, nine out of ten spectators who watch basketball understand the game. "I often serve as a referee on the field. If one ball walks and another ball pulls people, if you don't play, the audience will shout, which is also rare in other places."

"Nowadays, basketball has become one of the most participated sports for the people of Xingxian. Playing basketball and watching games are important components of many people's lives." Zhang Xingyong said, "In the future, we will make good use of and carry forward the basketball tradition, promote the sports industry of Xingxian to a higher level, and add more colors to the happy life of the people."