Soccer gets new emphasis on Hebei campuses

Quzhou county in Handan, Hebei province, is building soccer programs involving more than 10,000 primary and secondary school students each year.

The county, about 400 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, has promoted soccer on campuses in recent years, a move to improve all-around education.

"Each class has players, and every school holds soccer competitions," said Jing Wanxiang, head of the county's education and sports department.

As of last year, the county owned five kindergartens that specialized in soccer education, along with 19 such schools for youth soccer, accounting for one-eighth of the number countrywide, according to the department.

In 2016, Quzhou was named an experimental county for developing soccer at schools by the Ministry of Education.

"We will continue to vigorously develop soccer, so that every child can enjoy sports, and thus strengthen their bodies and temper their will," Jing said.