LANZHOU, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- With the sound of machine processing, workers manufacture pickleball paddles made of carbon fiber in a workshop.
Wearing his glasses, 55-year-old Dou Xincai carefully inspects different batches of pickleball paddles sent by his colleagues. After a while, the pile of paddles on the table was so large it obscured his body.
The factory where Dou works, located in Ningxian County of Qingyang City on the Loess Plateau of northwest China's Gansu Province, was established in 2020 in Liangping Village at an altitude of 1,200 meters.
This is the first pickleball paddle manufacturer that has played an important role in the pickleball industry in northwest China.
Originating in America and Europe, pickleball has been described as a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis.
Yang Kai, the factory's owner, said that one needs to bat back to his or her partner or partners when a small plastic pickleball soars through the air on the court.
"It appears to be a game for all ages. The ball is lightweight because it's full of holes," said Yang, adding that there was much less impact on the body than when striking a tennis ball.
The factory has always been a contract manufacturer for other brands throughout the country.
"In 2023, the factory's output value exceeded 10 million yuan (1.39 million US dollars), and pickleball paddles were mainly exported to markets in Europe, North America and South America," Yang said.
A pickleball paddle, which is very lightweight, is larger than a regular table tennis paddle, and is rectangular in shape.
"The paddle that is made of carbon fiber is also lightweight, which makes it is easy for all ages to play," said Yang, adding that it required more than ten processes, such as cutting the carbon fiber, molding, polishing and spraying.
The production materials and sales are in the external market, while the paddle manufacturing processes are in Ningxian County. Yang indicated that the villagers had never seen a pickleball or paddle before the establishment of his factory in 2020.
"Most of the villagers tried to work in the factory with good prospects at the beginning," said Yang, saying that his factory now employs over 120 workers.
Yang Kai and his staff have built a pickleball court for villagers and workers to play in the factory courtyard. Employees like Dou receive a monthly income of over 3,000 yuan (420 U.S. dollars). The factory has also attracted 890,000 yuan (125,000 U.S. dollars) of investment from Liangping Village and elsewhere.
More than 70 countries and regions have established pickleball associations. The United States has launched professional competitions, attracting many athletes from other sports to participate in recent years. Pickleball was introduced to China over ten years ago, and has been continuously developed in many parts of the country. There are over 200,000 people who play pickleball all year round in Guangdong Province.
China's pickleball sports working committee was established at the end of 2023. The committee, led by General Administration of Sports of China, will actively promote the popularization and development of pickleball across the country.
Pickleball practitioners like Yang have more confidence in the industry after the establishment of China's pickleball sports working committee. Yang plans to run local pickleball associations and hold competitions on campuses in the future.
"In 2024, I will continue to establish more factories to expand production. I will try my best to promote pickleball in China," Yang said. ■
