Grassroots soccer hits fever pitch in 'wild stadium'

中国日报网 2026-02-24 10:51:55

Success of invitational event in Yongzhou city typifies growing nationwide popularity of leagues

Affectionately dubbed the "wild stadium", the renovation of the once-crumbling Yongzhou venue in Hunan province has thrust the city into the spotlight as the latest national grassroots soccer phenomenon.

Before repairs and upgrades were started by the Yongzhou local government in July, the stadium resembled a decaying amphitheater and was the butt of many good-natured jibes by locals and netizens.

Brick debris and building materials littered parts of the stadium, vegetation grew head-high and there were online jokes that "snakes might crawl out from under the seats", a reference to Yongzhou's reputation for having a large reptile population.

Come late January all that had changed when Yongzhou hosted the inaugural CMG Mass Football Invitational Tournament — or Yangchao — in its modernized stadium. The seven-day event from Jan 18 to Jan 24, organized by the China Media Group and the Yongzhou government, brought together grassroots soccer teams from six provincial-level regions — Hunan, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Guangdong and Qinghai.

The stadium's seating sections had been upgraded, spectator standing areas tidied up, and the pitch surface and drainage and lighting systems improved.

When the final whistle was blown on Jan 24 in front of 16,000 roaring fans, the team from Zhanjiang, Guangdong, had defeated hometown favorite Yongzhou 2-1 to lift the trophy.

Yet, the victory also belonged to the host city and its contribution to the ongoing surge of grassroots soccer across China that this tournament, and the new-look stadium, embodied.

Yushu team fans from Qinghai province support their team during a Yangchao match against the Hohhot team in Yongzhou, Hunan province, on Jan 20. CHINA DAILY

责编：黄思婷

一审：黄思婷

二审：王柯沣

三审：秦慧英

来源：中国日报网

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