On October 19th, the fifth Cross-Strait Student Baseball League (Kunming Station) and the inaugural “Color Cloud Cup” Slow-Pitch Softball Elite Competition kicked off in Kunming. Over the next two days, 18 teams from across the Taiwan Strait will compete on the same stage.
The event is guided by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Affairs Office of Yunnan Province, and the Taiwan Affairs Office of Kunming City. It is hosted by the Kunming Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee and the Cross-Strait Baseball Exchange and Cooperation Committee, attracting teams from Taipei, Penghu, Kinmen, Xiamen, and more, totaling over 500 participants.
During the opening ceremony, Deng Hengyuan, the Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Yunnan Provincial Committee and the Yunnan Provincial Government, expressed his hopes and blessings for the league. He emphasized that this competition is not just a sporting event but an important platform for athletes from both sides to interact, strengthen friendships, and enhance cooperation in various fields, including economic and cultural exchanges. Through these matches, participants can gain a deeper understanding of each other’s cultural traditions and sportsmanship, helping to advance the development of sports across the Strait. Additionally, it fosters further collaboration between Yunnan and Taiwan in terms of resource integration and industrial partnerships.
“I’m excited to compete on the mainland. The climate here in Yunnan is perfect for slow-pitch softball,” said Yu Guanlong, Chairman of the Keelung City Slow-Pitch Softball Committee in Taiwan. He shared that he has previously competed in Inner Mongolia, Zhengzhou, and Shandong, where he observed the vigorous development of baseball on the mainland. Yu hopes for more opportunities for exchanges between the baseball communities on both sides.
