Foreign participants in a Belt and Road Initiative training program in China have praised the green development model of Shangyou county in Jiangxi province, highlighting its fast-growing pickleball industry as an eco-friendly engine for local growth.

The comments came during a recent field visit to Shangyou, where the delegation also took part in a pickleball experience event.

Lim Chong Heng, a lecturer at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia, spoke highly of Shangyou's natural environment and said the local government made a smart choice in developing the pickleball industry.

"The air here is very fresh. Here is more suitable for those who want to have the short break like the staycation or long weekend," he said.

Lim said hosting pickleball competitions would attract more tourists to Shangyou, and the resulting spending would lift the local economy. From this perspective, he said, it was a good decision for the county government to introduce subsidies to support pickleball development.

Recognizing pickleball as easy to learn, highly social and space-efficient, the Shangyou government designated the sport as the cornerstone of its national fitness strategy in 2023, integrating it into the county's master development plan.

The county then launched a comprehensive three-year plan for 2024 to 2026, including an annual allocation of 13 million yuan ($1.8 million) in subsidies and a special fund for hosting pickleball tournaments. In addition to building a pickleball center capable of staging national-level competitions, Shangyou has built or upgraded more than 300 courts in communities, schools and parks, creating a convenient "10-minute sports circle."

In September, the county rolled out an even more ambitious plan to expand its pickleball court network to 500 by the end of 2028, shorten access to a "5-minute sports circle," and allocate 10 million yuan each year to support the entire pickleball industry chain.

Lim's views were echoed by Tsaone Basimanebotlhe, a journalist from Botswana, who said sports represent a green industry that does not damage the environment.

"When you look into sports, it doesn't damage any environment in any harm," she said, adding that sports like pickleball require very limited space. "When I look at the environment, everything is reserved and it's all green. The area is protected and I don't see any environmental damage."

Tsegaye Girma, a public servant from Ethiopia, agreed. Developing the pickleball industry is "a very good choice," he said. "I can trust it boosts economic development."

According to the Shangyou government, the county has capitalized on pickleball's popularity to stimulate tourism through a series of tournaments. During tournament periods this year, hotels were fully booked and local restaurants were crowded with visitors, it said.

From January to September, Shangyou received more than 9.3 million tourist visits, generating over 9.4 billion yuan in tourism revenue, year-on-year increases of about 8.1 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively, according to the government.

Girma also praised China's experience in environmental protection and green development, saying it offers useful lessons for his home country. While environmental degradation is a common global challenge, he said he was impressed by Shangyou's well-preserved mountains.

"Chinese development is green development," he said, adding that he hopes to bring aspects of China's experience back to Ethiopia.

Gu Tong contributed to this story.