The Ramsports Pickleball Stadium, located at Mission Hills MH Mall in Longhua District, officially opened its doors to sports enthusiasts Saturday with a grand opening ceremony that included esteemed figures from the sports industry. Included were Chinese gymnastics legend Li Ning, founder of the Li-Ning athletic brand, Richard Gossett, CEO of Ramsports, Tenniel Chu, vice chairman of Mission Hills Group, Seymour Rifkind, chairman of the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA), Steve Kuhn, founder of the Pickleball Champions League (PCL), and Eddie Shen and Michael Newell, well-known coaches. The stadium, Ramsports’ first pickleball facility in China, features 3,500 square meters of international standard pickleball courts, including three indoor, three outdoor, and four courts with electric retractable roofs. It also boasts coaches accredited by the IPTPA. A fast-paced sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, pickleball has been rapidly gaining popularity worldwide among all ages due to its easy learning curve and social aspect. “I think it's great for the health of the people, mentally and physically, to make new friends — to use pickleball as a way of exercising and enjoying life,” said Gossett, CEO of Ramsports, during an interview with Shenzhen Daily. “It's a game that everyone can play, and we are excited that we are going to introduce it to the community." Gossett, who is very optimistic about the sport’s development potential in China, mentioned that the company will open a second facility in China in the next four months and is also discussing franchises. During his welcoming address, Alex Yuan, president of Ramsports Group, discussed the brand's dedication to introducing international sports concepts and premium products to the Chinese market. He emphasized the goals of enriching the sports landscape, engaging in more collaborations, and providing professional services to sports enthusiasts. “Pickleball is by far the most exciting new sport in the world. We foresee that China will be the fastest-growing [market] in the world of pickleball in terms of players,” said Mission Hills Vice Chairman Chu. “Together, we will be developing new facilities and also inviting the best tournaments to come and develop the game of pickleball in China." In their speeches, Seymour Rifkind and Steve Kuhn envisioned the stadium's opening as a pivotal step towards advancing the sport's popularity and prosperity in China. The opening ceremony featured a ribbon-cutting, dynamic dragon dance performances, a fashion show blending style and athleticism, and pickleball demonstrations by Ramsports' coaching team. Also included was a signing ceremony between Ramsports and Roos Van Reek, the Netherlands' No. 1 pickleball player and a prominent figure in the Australian Major Pickleball League. Due to the sport's growing popularity, there have been discussions about its potential inclusion in future Olympic events. “We think pickleball will be played, if not in L.A. (2028 Olympics), it will be in Australia (2032 Olympics),” said Gossett. Considering preparations for pickleball's eventual inclusion in the Olympics, Gosset stated, “We need to get going here in China. We are going to hold big tournaments here. We are waiting to see the schedule through the China Tennis Association. We will work with them in any way we can to provide the best facilities, to train, to teach, to hold tournaments.” Looking to the future, Chu expressed optimism about the sport's growth in China, noting its similarities to badminton and table tennis — sports in which Chinese athletes have excelled in the Olympics. "We do foresee that in the near future, the Olympic Committee will definitely consider this sport as part of the Olympic family. Chinese players will definitely have a very promising future in terms of developing the sport,” said Chu.

World Golf Awards, the premier authority in acknowledging and honoring excellence in golf tourism, has announced the top golf tourism organizations for this year during its 11th annual Gala Ceremony held in Madeira Portugal. Mission Hills Shenzhen has been awarded the title of Asia's Best Golf Real Estate Venue for 2024 at the 2024 World Golf Awards. Located within a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction and encircled by 12 premier championship golf courses crafted by renowned golfers and legends, Mission Hills Resort Shenzhen presents an enticing blend of five-star luxury accommodations alongside some of the world's most exceptional sporting, spa, and leisure amenities. The outcomes are the culmination of a year-long investigation into the most favored golf tourism and hospitality brands globally. Votes were submitted by professionals within the golf industry, members of the media, and the general public, with the nominee receiving the highest number of votes in each category being declared the winner. About World Golf Awards World Golf Awards serves to celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism, world-class courses and golf destinations. Launched in 2014, World Golf Awards aims to drive up standards within the golf tourism industry by rewarding the organisations that are leaders in their field. Votes are cast by professionals working within the golf industry and by the public (golf tourism consumers). World Golf Awards is the sister organisation of World Travel Awards, currently celebrating its 31st anniversary. For more information about World Golf Awards visit worldgolfawards.com. About Mission Hills Shenzhen The Mission Hills Group serves as both the owner and operator of premier resorts located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Hainan Free Trade Port, establishing itself as a leader in China's hospitality, sports, and leisure sectors. The comprehensive Mission Hills resorts cover over 40 square kilometers and feature 22 championship golf courses, making it the largest golf facility globally. Additionally, the resorts include five-star hotels, award-winning spas, volcanic mineral springs, international convention centers, cutting-edge golf academies, a 28-pitch football training facility, Asia's largest basketball school, and the continent's most extensive tennis complex. Noteworthy developments at Mission Hills also encompass shopping and entertainment options at Mission Hills Centreville, the Bromsgrove School Mission Hills in partnership with the historic British boarding school, collaborations with prestigious hotel brands such as Hard Rock, Renaissance, and Ritz-Carlton, Mission Hills Movie Town, and innovative alliances with the NBA and PGA of America.

Team Tamburlini celebrated an incredible win during a significant event at the Aramco Team Series in Riyadh. The annual finals were held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Team Tamburlini triumphed with an outstanding score of 43-under par, finishing a remarkable 10 shots ahead of their closest competitors.  The team consists of Chiara Tamburlini from Switzerland, Anne-Charlotte Mora from France, Mimi Rhodes from England, and Tenniel Chu, the vice chairman of Mission Hills Group. Over the course of the two-day competition, each player showcased exceptional skills, leading to the largest victory margin ever recorded in the history of the Aramco Team Series. It's worth mentioning that just a month earlier, on October 5, the same team, under Tamburlini's leadership, secured the championship at the Aramco Team Series Shenzhen at the World Cup Course Mission Hills Resort Shenzhen. As Saudi Arabia officially becomes a member of the BRICS group, this expansion is set to create new trade opportunities and enhance the national network. The economic and trade collaboration between China and Saudi Arabia is increasingly strengthening, alongside a growing frequency of sports and cultural exchanges. Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group, remarked that golf, being a sport cherished globally, possesses remarkable attributes for business networking and social interaction. Mission Hills Group will maintain a close partnership with Saudi Golf and actively promote non-governmental sports cooperation between the two nations, particularly in golf. The 2024 Aramco Team Series has concluded successfully, and we eagerly anticipate an even more thrilling series in 2025.

Mission Hills Group and Ram Sports held a press conference and signing ceremony at Mission Hills Haikou. According to World Pickleball Federation Chairman Seymour Rifkind, the International Pickleball Training Professional Association and the World Pickleball Federation plan to hold the 2025 Pickleball Games in Haikou in December of next year in an attempt to highlight the advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port and pickleball's rise in popularity. For one week, there will be a variety of forums, city tours, and competitions as part of the first-ever Pickleball World Championships. Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong using a paddle and plastic ball with holes. It is a game that is appropriate for players of all ages and skill levels. Rules for pickleball are simple, making it a great introductory sport. To advance the global promotion and standardization of pickleball, Mission Hills Group has entered into an agreement with Ram Sports to introduce this internationally renowned sport in China. Introducing Haikou will open up new chances for Hainan's sports industry expansion. Based on the agreement, Ram Sports will collaborate with Mission Hills Group to construct the world's biggest indoor pickleball court at the Mission Hills Resort in Haikou, operate a pickleball training center and academy, and annually host the World Pickleball Forum Summit. Introducing a professional pickleball training system and resources will revitalize the popularity and development of pickleball in China, and offer residents and tourists additional sports and leisure choices. Shixin Wei, Deputy Director of Haikou Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau, Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group, Seymour Rifkind, Chairman of World Pickleball Federation, Alex Yuan, President of Ram Sports, and Mission Hills Group Sports Business Development Director Tiger Cai attended the event. It is a great honor to stand in front of you today at this momentous occasion, as Mission Hills Group and Ram Sports collaborate to support the development of pickleball, one of the most dynamic and quickly growing sports in the world," stated Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group. Over the next five years, 100 million pickleball players are expected to be developed in China, where the sport is expected to grow rapidly with plans to construct 10,000 new courts. With this ambitious effort, China is demonstrating its dedication to pickleball promotion and integration into the country's sports culture. Hainan is ideally situated to serve as a major center for the growth of the sport in China due to its advantageous geographic location and policies. Hainan Island benefits from special policy advantages as the largest free trade area in China. The president of Ram Sports, Alex Yuan, stressed in his speech the value of both a skilled teaching staff and professional venues with extensive amenities for pickleball's development. The opening of China's first professional pickleball base in Mission Hills Haikou by Ram Sports is a major turning point in the development of pickleball in China. Here, we'll build the biggest indoor pickleball court in the world, replete with a medical rehabilitation facility, a physical training facility, and a Mission Hills Football Training Base Athletes Hotel. Our goal is to improve Asian pickleball by using China and Hainan as a starting point and offering the WPF and IPTPA's professional training programs and resources.