Women unite through soccer

At sunset on Feb 25 at The Arena Woodleigh in Singapore, eight amateur women's soccer teams from China, Singapore, and Malaysia were getting ready to play when a sudden downpour hit. Just as everyone began to worry whether the game could proceed, the rain eased, the clouds parted, and a rainbow appeared over the pitch.

"Even though we started our first match completely soaked, the rainbow made it absolutely unforgettable," recalled Wei Huan from Beijing's Infinite team.

The rainbow also caught the attention of Singaporean player Su Jingyi. "After a successful defense, I high-fived my teammates and looked up to see a full rainbow," she said. "It felt like a beautiful coincidence — teams from different places playing together under the same sky."

The moment captured the spirit of the Infinite Singa Cup, the first international tournament organized by Infinite, a Chinese amateur women's soccer club, in a developed country.

The event was initiated by 40-year-old soccer coach Xu Zhibin from Sichuan province. He founded Infinite in Beijing in 2021 and later established Hobbit in Shanghai in 2025.

Over five years, the Infinite Cup brand has become well-known among amateur women's teams through a series of domestic tournaments. After hosting its first overseas event in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2024, Xu expanded the tournament to Singapore this year.

Grassroots drive

Despite growing enthusiasm for the sport, amateur women's soccer in China still faces significant challenges.

"Soccer is fundamentally about matches, but for amateur women's players, finding a pure game is challenging," Xu said, referring to games played primarily for enjoyment and participation rather than prizes.

Unlike Singapore and Malaysia, where amateur leagues are organized by national soccer associations, China's amateur women's soccer scene has largely developed without official support. Teams often operate independently, with no subsidies for field rentals, coaching assistance, or stable tournament systems, relying almost entirely on grassroots initiatives.

In this context, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen have emerged as key hubs for amateur women's soccer. Notably, Beijing and Shanghai are the only Chinese cities with amateur women's leagues, both originally established by expatriates living in China.

Xu hopes to help change this situation."We plan to host one to two domestic regional tournaments and one international tournament abroad each year," he said. "Within two years, we hope to bring the international tournament to Europe, starting with the UK."

According to him, these tournaments are built on the idea of "fellowship and de-emphasizing competition".

To preserve that spirit, the events follow several rules: there is no prize money, all participants receive medals, multiple teams receive trophies, and participation is invitation-only to discourage overly competitive teams from disrupting the atmosphere.

"We want everyone to experience the pure joy of soccer — free from the pressure of winning or commercial interests," Xu explained.

Wei, one of the earliest members of Infinite and a 29-year-old internet public relations professional, has witnessed the rapid growth of Beijing's amateur women's soccer scene.

"About five years ago, after graduating, I could hardly find any amateur women's teams on Xiaohongshu," she said, referring to the popular Chinese lifestyle platform. "Now, the number of teams and tournaments has increased significantly."

Despite her busy work schedule, she plays soccer at least once a week.

"Soccer is my way to balance work and life," she said. "On the pitch, I can forget about everyday worries, and after a game I feel completely refreshed."

Liu Xiaoyi, a member of Hobbit and a master's student at Shanghai University of Sport, described a similarly active environment in Shanghai.

"Shanghai has many amateur women's teams, and participation in tournaments is high," she said. "But we usually arrange matches with women's teams only — the intensity feels more balanced, and we don't have to worry about inappropriate contact or anyone holding back."

Through the Infinite Singa Cup, Malaysian player Puteri Faten has seen the important role international tournaments can play in developing amateur women's soccer.

"They provide exposure, learning opportunities, and motivation that local competitions alone may not offer," she said. "International exchanges are not just about competition — they are platforms for growth, networking, and raising standards."

Wei also felt that difference. "Some teams are very inclusive, with players ranging from teenagers to women in their fifties," she said. "Players are also more flexible with positions and can try different roles, rather than being fixed in one place. That showed me more possibilities in soccer."

Growing participation

For Liu, the tournament highlighted soccer's role as a "universal language".

"I initially worried about cultural barriers," she said. "But once the game started, everyone understood each other."

Xu noted that many people in his generation grew up with limited access to physical education, especially girls.

"I hope amateur women's soccer can help more girls become active — not just through physical exercise, but also by encouraging communication, broadening their horizons, and creating opportunities for holistic personal development," he said.

Su hopes that amateur women's soccer will become more popular, inclusive, and influential in the future.

She believes this can be achieved by building more dedicated venues and organizing regular tournaments at different levels, so that girls who love the sport can play whenever they want and easily find suitable matches.

"Stronger youth training programs should allow girls to participate in the game from an early age," she said. "There should also be more international exchanges that could help make women's soccer a true 'global connector'."

"Most importantly, I hope society will offer its support in mindset and attitude so that every female soccer player can step onto the field with confidence, free from prejudice and unnecessary restrictions," she added.

guiqian@i21st.cn