The 21st Beibei Cup Youth Football Competition, the largest and most prestigious of its kind in China, kicked off in Fenghuang town in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province on Aug 10.
The event is a joint effort between the China Football Association, the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (SCLF) and the Zhangjiagang government.
A total of 600 players from 32 teams are fighting for the trophy, with 100 games taking place from Aug 10-16. In the opening match on Aug 10, the Zhangjiaggang team beat the Hebei team by a whopping 22 goals to nil.
As the birthplace of the tournament, Fenghuang town is often seen as the hub for the development of football in China. In 1983, the town joined hands with SCLF to initiate the nationwide competition targeting youngsters aged 12 and under, which is the oldest such event in China.
The opening ceremony for 21st Beibei Cup Youth Football Competition is held in Fenghuang town, Zhangjiagang on Aug 10. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Players line up to compete at the opening match on Aug 10. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Players compete with each other on Aug 10. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
