Tibetan children realize football dream at Beijing Workers' Stadium

BEIJING -- 40 Tibetan boys and girls came into the limelight ahead of the Chinese Super League (CSL) match on Friday night at the renovated Workers' Stadium in Beijing.

Six of them wearing traditional Tibetan clothing entered the stadium hand in hand with players from Beijing Guoan and Changchun Yatai. It was the first time for the youngsters from Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Qinghai to set foot in China's capital.

Ranging from seven to 16 years old, the Tibetan children received warm applause and cheers from more than 46,000 spectators.

The day before the match, together with the Beijing Guoan youth team, the children from Yushu Children's Home played a friendly at the stadium, which was a special gift for them on the occasion of International Children's Day.

Gong Zihan, from Beijing Guoan's youth team, praised the young players, saying, "They have excellent skills and great physical strength. We enjoyed the game!"

"The turf here is like the meadow in my hometown. I feel familiar with the ground. I'm a defender, dreaming to play football at such a great stadium. Now, my dream has come true," said 10-year-old Songbao.

"Their passion for football goes beyond distance, mountains and rivers," said Jin Fei, deputy general manager for the stadium's operating company. "We welcome the children from Yushu. I hope that more children who love football can enjoy themselves at professional football stadiums in the future."