Rongjiang's Village Super League expands global reach

Zunyi city, Guizhou province, hosts a soccer match on Saturday as part of a new program to promote the Rongjiang Village Super League. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In 2023, the Village Super League, founded by 20 local teams in Rongjiang county of Southwest China's Guizhou province, attracted the attention of soccer stars from around the world. Many stars, such as Kaka from Brazil and Fabio Cannavaro from Italy, have paid visits to the area.

Teams from France, Liberia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have visited Rongjiang for exchanges, and in March, the Village Super League traveled to Benin in Africa.

Moving forward, the Village Super League will study the development experiences of Europe's Big Five football leagues and the World Cup and mobilize more grassroots football stars from home and abroad to form Village Super League teams across different age groups. Additionally, exchange events such as matches with internationally renowned schools, Village Super League friendly matches themed "Belt and Road", and the Village Super League World Cup will be held to establish Rongjiang as a place of soccer culture and a sports tourism destination.

Guizhou has established a brand system and a company for the Village Super League. An international communication team, football association, and fans association will be founded to enhance the league's international influence and visibility.

Luo Siyang contributed to this story.