When Jeffrey Keith Sullivan, leader of the Montgomery County Youth Pickleball Cultural Exchange Delegation, received a reply from Chinese President Xi Jinping, he could hardly contain his excitement.
"This is awesome!" he told his fellow students and teachers, who still fondly recall their April trip to Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen for a series of pickleball exchanges.
"Pickleball has become a new bond for youth exchanges between China and the United States," Sullivan said, reflecting on the lively matches and friendly rallies shared with local peers in the Chinese mainland.
With over 40 students and educators swapping paddles and cultural insights, courts in each city turned into platforms for dialogue, teamwork, and mutual understanding.
As youth diplomacy keeps evolving, pickleball reminds us that the simplest games can spark the strongest connections across borders.
Reference(s):
Spin the Globe: Pickleball unites Chinese and American youth
cgtn.com
