Eureka moments at the Challenge Cup

Gao Ruifang, a 21-year-old student from the College of Literature at Guizhou University, explored the burgeoning phenomenon of "Cun BA" in her award-winning study.

Originating in Taipan village in Guizhou province, Cun BA has recently gained popularity on the internet. As a college student studying in Guizhou, Gao attended several live competitions. "While I was watching, I wondered what factors had contributed to its success, given the abundance of basketball games across the country."

Gao's curiosity sparked the initial idea for her research. She led an investigatory team with eight members. "To bring different perspectives to the research, we involved team members with diverse academic backgrounds," she said.

Delving into the heart of Taipan village and 61 surrounding villages, they collected 2,350 valid questionnaires, conducted 316 in-depth interviews, and visited 19 local institutions. "To enhance the research data, we tailored the questions in the questionnaires according to the diverse populations surveyed," Gao said.

While acknowledging the myriad benefits of Cun BA, Gao's team also identified challenges. For example, they observed that the financial support for organizing competitions mainly comes from registration fees paid by villagers, a source heavily reliant on the number of participants. "This source is unstable," Gao explained. "Additionally, with a larger audience, Cun BA has sometimes been excessively promoted, disrupting its original atmosphere."

Their research culminated in actionable recommendations, advocating for diversified fundraising and prioritizing the local community.

As the curtain falls on the 18th "Challenge Cup", Gao emphasized that their exploration is far from over. "Even though we've made some recommendations, we'll follow up to see if they will face any new challenges when being put into practice," she said.

The journey of discovery and collaboration is ongoing, echoing the timeless resonance of Archimedes' exclamation, "Eureka!"