The Beijing women’s Pearl Ball team secured a 47-38 victory over Hunan in a group match at the National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities on Saturday in Sanya, South China’s Hainan Province. Pearl Ball, often referred to as “small basketball with a moving hoop,” features techniques and competition methods similar to basketball. The seven-a-side game includes one player from each team using a net to catch the ball (pearl) thrown by teammates in the scoring area. Meanwhile, two defenders in the blocking zone use paddles to block or intercept shots from the attacking team. Introduced as a competition event in 1991 during the 4th National Ethnic Minority Traditional Sports Games, Pearl Ball has since become a unique highlight of the games.(Photo: Cui Meng/GT)