An award ceremony of the Third Guizhou Rongjiang Class Super League, also known as Ban Chao, was jointly held by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF) and Chinese tech giant Lenovo Group in Rongjiang, a county of Southwest China's Guizhou Province, on November 11.
During the middle school boys' group final, Rongjiang Minzu Middle School claimed the title by beating Rongjiang No.4 Middle School 4-2.
Players from the two schools delivered precise passes, decisive steals and powerful shots. Each exciting moment ignited the enthusiasm of the audience who raised flags, cheered for their teams, and pushed the atmosphere to several rounds of jubilant climaxes.
"All our efforts are worthwhile as we win the march," said Xiaoshi (pseudonym), captain of the football team of Rongjiang Minzu Middle School. The 15-year-old boy started to play football in the second grade of primary school. He said playing football has allowed him to gain growth and happiness through teamwork.
The dynamic development of the football tournament is inseparable from concerted efforts made by public-welfare organizations and sci-tech enterprises.
In this May, the CCTF and Lenovo jointly kicked off the football-related subproject under the Dream of Future project in a drive to inject fresh vitality into football development on campus through "science and technology plus sports" model.
They made a donation of one million yuan (US $14.08 million) in fund and materials to Rongjiang to purchase smart football facilities and support the organization of the class super league in 24 primary schools, providing local children with professional training and guidance.
A symposium about football-related public-welfare projects was held on the sidelines of the award ceremony. CCTF Secretary-General Li Zhongming, Vice-President of Lenovo Group and Chief Marketing Officer of Lenovo China Wang Chuandong, and Secretary of the Communist Party of China Rongjiang Committee Xu Bo attended and addressed the symposium.
Noting that football is a carrier of teamwork spirit and strong will, Li said that since the CCTF and Lenovo launched the Dream of Future project in 2022, it has benefited over 50,000 teachers and students nationwide, and the cooperation in Rongjiang is intended to help children grow up healthily through their engagement in football.
Wang said that the company will channel its technological experience of international sports event into rural education and take utmost efforts to help local children realize their football dreams.
Xu said that Rongjiang has formulated a 10-year football development plan and built a three-tier mass football system integrated with the Village Super League for adults, the Class Super League for students and football games for professional players. The third Class Super League has drawn the participation of 81 delegations and 1,210 children from 37 primary and middle schools in the county.
The integration between public-welfare resources and Rongjiang's consistent commitment to football has forged a powerful synergy. From the explosive popularity of the Village Super League to the sustained momentum of the Class Super League, from AI-supportive training facilities to public-welfare platforms, Rongjiang's fertile ground for football is nurturing boundless possibilities.
With the further implementation of the Dream of Future project and other public-welfare initiatives, science, technology, love and care will empower more children and teenagers in Rongjiang to pursue their dreams, making football an important link for rural revitalization and educational development.
Photos from CCTF
(Source: CCTF/Women of China)
Editor: Wang Shasha
