How a City in Henan Became 'China's Pickleball City'?
The highest-level pickleball tournament in China—the 2025 'Li-Ning Cup' National Pickleball Championships—is currently being held in Hebi City, Henan Province. The Hong Kong, China team won the mixed team championship, while individual titles are still fiercely contested.
Orange Bay Sports explores through this article how the northern Henan city of Hebi is leveraging event operations and the pickleball supply chain industry to build its city brand as "China's Pickleball City."
Hebi derives its name from the beautiful legend of cranes perching on the southern cliffs. The Qi River, which flows through the city, was anciently called the "Qi River" and is depicted in 39 poems of the Book of Songs that vividly portray the customs and natural scenery along its banks.
Qi County, under Hebi's jurisdiction, was historically known as "Zhaoge", once the capital of four emperors at the end of the Shang Dynasty and the birthplace of the Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods) story. Another county, Xun County, anciently called "Liyang," is renowned for the saying "When Liyang harvests, the nine provinces are fed" and is a national historical and cultural city. The opening ceremony of this year's Li-Ning Cup National Pickleball Championships was held in the ancient city of Xun County.
Above: Scene from the opening ceremony of the 2025 Li-Ning Cup National Pickleball Championships
The city's pickleball development began in 2023. At that time, Hebi seized the national strategy of fitness for all and was the first to introduce pickleball. That same year, Hebi was awarded the title of "China's Pickleball City" by the International Pickleball Federation, becoming the first city in the country to receive this honor.
From the outset of introducing pickleball, the Hebi Municipal Party Committee and Government elevated it to a city strategic level, systematically promoting and drafting the "Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Pickleball." They incorporated pickleball into urban and rural construction plans as an important window to showcase the city's image and established the Hebi Pickleball Association to fully drive the high-quality development of the sport.
In just over two years, pickleball in Hebi has grown from nothing to a thriving activity. To date, the city has built over 1,500 indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, forming a network covering parks, campuses, communities, and commercial centers, attracting approximately 480,000 participants.
The development of pickleball has also injected new momentum into Hebi's sports industry. Currently, the city has formed an industrial prototype encompassing event operations, sports + cultural tourism integration, and equipment manufacturing.
In terms of event operations, by hosting high-level tournaments such as international exhibition matches, national championships, China Pickleball Tour events, and international pickleball invitationals, while gradually building a grassroots event matrix of "municipal open tournaments + county district championships + community and commercial district events," Hebi has successfully achieved "weekly activities, monthly competitions", integrating pickleball into citizens' daily lives while further promoting the "China's Pickleball City" brand.
To ensure event quality, Hebi has not only developed supporting activities such as "Qi River Book of Songs Cultural Performances" and tours of Xun County's ancient city, boosting tourist numbers, but also actively integrated local culture with pickleball elements to launch cultural and creative products.
For example, in 2024, the Hebi municipal government released exclusive pickleball promotion logos and mascots "Hehe" and "Pipi", as well as the pickleball promotional song "Cranes Soar".
Before this year's championships, Henan Geely Sports Goods Co., Ltd. developed cultural and creative gifts such as "Pickleball Baby" and, in collaboration with the municipal inheritor of the Ni Gu Gu (clay figurine) craft, "Pickleball Lili" and "Pickleball Yangyang."
Above: "Pickleball Baby" cultural and creative gift
Above: "Pickleball Lili" (left) and "Pickleball Yangyang" (right) cultural and creative gifts
In exploring the pickleball industry, Hebi has leveraged its coal chemical industry advantages to form a complete pickleball industry chain from raw material supply of polypropylene to high-end equipment manufacturing.
In Xun County, leveraging its traditional rubber and plastics industry base, a digital pickleball ecological park with a total investment of 2 billion yuan and covering 300 mu (about 50 acres) is under planning and construction. Henan Geely Sports Goods Co., Ltd., as the first local pickleball equipment manufacturer, has achieved a daily output of 2,000 pickleballs and 1,000 paddles, quickly becoming a leading regional sports equipment supplier.
In Qi County, leveraging the advantages of the nylon new materials industry, Hebi Zhuoxing Sports Goods Co., Ltd. has introduced a fully automated pickleball production line, focusing on the R&D and manufacturing of high-end carbon fiber pickleball paddles. With lightweight and high-strength features, their products have an annual capacity of 100,000 units and have participated in the formulation of national standards for pickleball sports equipment.
According to a relevant official from the Municipal Education and Sports Bureau, Hebi will continue to use pickleball as a medium to expand the integration of sports, cultural tourism, and manufacturing, creating a more influential pickleball event brand and city sports identity.
| Sources: Hebi Daily, Hebi Municipal Education and Sports Bureau official website, Hebi Radio and Television Station, Henan Provincial Sports Bureau official WeChat account
| Image credits: Hebi Daily, Hebi Radio and Television Station
| Editor: Esther