Just before nightfall on Saturday in Mangshi Square, Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, Chinese amateur basketball player Li Yixin and American basketball player Steven Key II shook hands.

Several minutes earlier, Li and Key, representing their respective teams — the Lancang county team of Pu'er and Black Ops from the United States — completed an intense group stage match in last weekend's Yunnan 3x3 Super League Dehong stop, one of the events of 2025 Yunnan province border happy village sports carnival.

Key highlighted the sportsmanship of the Chinese players, describing their performances as impressive.

Li, meanwhile, noted that the American players displayed exceptional professionalism and solid fundamental skills, while also being very friendly and "even giving us some courtesy points".

He emphasized the valuable opportunity that the event provides to learn from such opponents.

The day before meeting Li, Key and his teammates played basketball with kids at the Jiexiang Primary School in Ruili, another city in Yunnan, where they were warmly welcomed.

Key was pleasantly surprised when he received candies from the children, noting that "the candies are some of the best I've ever had".

The same day, Key visited a village that straddles the China-Myanmar border. The village is called Yinjing on the Chinese side, and Mangxiu on the Myanmar side.

He said that it was amazing to witness different communities interacting with each other and cultures blending harmoniously.

The cultural diversity of Yunnan was particularly appreciated by Muhamad Akmal Bin Abdul Wahab, consul general of Malaysia in Kunming.

He was among 18 diplomats from six South Asian and Southeast Asian countries who experienced the traditional culture of ethnic minorities in Ruili on Friday, including activities such as Dai-style bowling and bamboo slingshot.

Wahab lauded the efforts to preserve, promote and introduce these traditional sports, especially to foreigners.

No doubt adding to his enjoyment of proceedings, the Malaysian team Kuala Lumper beat the Latvian team Battleship in the 3x3 final on Sunday to take the tournament's top honors, with Kuala Lumper small forward Marcus Hammonds being named the MVP.

The 38-year-old journeyman professional from the US watched local song and dance performances during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Yunnan province border happy village sports carnival on Thursday evening, with Hammonds describing it as a "cool experience "to explore China and its culture.

The sports carnival kicked off on Thursday, aiming to provide a comprehensive platform for sports competitions, ethnic integration, cultural exchanges and economic cooperation.

Wahab believes that sports can serve as a form of diplomacy, one that brings people together — even without verbal communication — through sportsmanship and shared enjoyment.

Md Khaled, consul general of the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Kunming, echoed the sentiment, noting that sports can play a vital role in increasing people-to-people connections, thereby enhancing friendship among nations, regions and different ethnic groups.

Jan Demsar, a Slovenian basketball player representing Thailand team Shoot It Dragons, said that sports can help forge friendships all over the world.

Key added that such sporting events show that Chinese people and those from the US share a passion for basketball and the spirit of competition, as well as a desire to enjoy life and to come together to foster love and peace.

"I hope both nations can come to an understanding that, although we live life differently, we're all the same," he added.

Black Ops ultimately secured third place in the tournament.