High school students from across Zhangjiagang gathered in Fenghuang town recently for a three-day intensive football training camp.
High school students practice playing football in the training camp. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
This training camp serves as a key incubator for football talent in Zhangjiagang and is the only nationally recognized youth football training brand in Suzhou. Since 2019, Zhangjiagang has been exploring a comprehensive football education system that spans from kindergarten to university with the camp.
To date, the camp has enrolled four cohorts totaling 80 participants and established collaborative platforms with universities such as East China Normal University and Guangzhou Sport University.
Youth football is a hallmark of Fenghuang town, where the prestigious "Beibei Cup" youth football tournament was founded in 1983. As the earliest, longest-running, and most influential children's football event in China, the event has become a cultural and sporting emblem of Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, and Jiangsu province.
In recent years, Zhangjiagang has continued to promote the integration of sports and education, creating new opportunities for young people to thrive through football. By fostering a growing passion for the sport, the city is injecting vitality into its local and national football development.