National youth football event concludes, local team finishes fourth
( chinadaily.com.cn )
Updated: 2017-08-02
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Zhao Yingjie (left) from the Zhangjiagang Beibei team gets psyched up for the match with his coach. [Photo by Chen Congying/Xinhua] |
The young soccer stars this year received training from a panel of expert coaches throughout the tournament.
The most talented of all could soon be selected to represent Chinese national team's youth sides, as the event's slogan—"Beibei Cup today, World Cup tomorrow"—made clear. President Xi Jinping has set China the goal of winning football's greatest prize by 2050.
The Beibei Cup was launched in 1983 targeting teenagers aged 12 and under. The event was held annually every year until 2001, before being relaunched in 2016.
