How is a grass-roots football league scoring economic goals in China's Jiangsu province?
Football coach Pan Xin was impressed by the vibrant atmosphere at the Jiangsu City Football League's opening match a month ago, but admits to being surprised it has persisted.
The game drew a large crowd – including senior provincial officials – with cheerleaders adding a dash of colour, and was broadcast live by state media, he said.
'It felt like a great start to the event, but I didn't anticipate such a lasting impact,' said Pan, who coaches a youth football team in Danyang, Jiangsu province.
Over the past month, the grass-roots football league – known colloquially as the Su Super League – has attracted millions of online viewers and thousands of fans to stadiums, sparking a consumption boom in products ranging from match tickets to local specialities.
Chinese soccer fans, repeatedly disappointed by the men's national football team, which was knocked out of the Asian qualifiers for next year's World Cup after losing to Indonesia earlier this month, are showing unprecedented enthusiasm for the amateur tournament in the east coast province.
Featuring 13 city-based teams with players from diverse backgrounds, the league has become a commercial juggernaut, with the rekindled passion boosting consumption.
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South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
How is a grass-roots football league scoring economic goals in China's Jiangsu province?
Football coach Pan Xin was impressed by the vibrant atmosphere at the Jiangsu City Football League's opening match a month ago, but admits to being surprised it has persisted. The game drew a large crowd – including senior provincial officials – with cheerleaders adding a dash of colour, and was broadcast live by state media, he said. 'It felt like a great start to the event, but I didn't anticipate such a lasting impact,' said Pan, who coaches a youth football team in Danyang, Jiangsu province. Over the past month, the grass-roots football league – known colloquially as the Su Super League – has attracted millions of online viewers and thousands of fans to stadiums, sparking a consumption boom in products ranging from match tickets to local specialities. Chinese soccer fans, repeatedly disappointed by the men's national football team, which was knocked out of the Asian qualifiers for next year's World Cup after losing to Indonesia earlier this month, are showing unprecedented enthusiasm for the amateur tournament in the east coast province. Featuring 13 city-based teams with players from diverse backgrounds, the league has become a commercial juggernaut, with the rekindled passion boosting consumption.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Andrea Atzeni bullish about Patch Of Theta: ‘I wouldn't swap the horse for anything else in the race'
Andrea Atzeni has strong confidence in his two Group Three mounts at Sha Tin on Sunday. Photos: Kenneth Chan Bidding to add to what has already been a fruitful campaign, Andrea Atzeni has declared he wouldn't swap Patch Of Theta for any other ride in Sunday's Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin. The Sardinian jockey has legitimate claims in the final two features of the season, with Patch Of Theta and his Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m) mount Bundle Award shaping as strong contenders. Atzeni, who sits third in the jockeys' championship with 54 wins, hops aboard Patch Of Theta for the first time as Francis Lui Kin-wai's classy five-year-old chases a second Group Three triumph this term. Victorious in the Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) in January, the Zoustar gelding put the writing on the wall with a fast-finishing third to Helios Express in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) last start. Smart win, Patch Of Theta! 🫡 Francis Lui's Hong Kong International Sale graduate could be Stewards' Cup bound after his smashing G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup victory on New Year's Day at Sha Tin... @KarisTeetan #LuckyStart | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 2, 2025 'He's a very good ride to get,' Atzeni said. 'His last run was very good. If he can repeat that, he shouldn't be too far away. To be honest, I'd say I wouldn't swap the horse for anything else in the race. 'I think 1,400m is his perfect trip because he's not short of speed and he can travel strong. Sometimes 1,200m looks a little bit sharp and a mile, although he's won over it, can be a little bit far for him.' Patch Of Theta emerged as one of Lui's more progressive gallopers during his championship-winning campaign last season with four wins – all over 1,400m at Sha Tin. Since winning a Class Two mile and the Chinese Club Challenge Cup, he has been tested at a much higher level and, despite finishing well back in his two Group One starts, he was not disgraced. Atzeni highlighted another progressive Lui galloper in Packing Hermod, who shoots for a third consecutive win, and Group One victors Beauty Eternal and Invincible Sage as Patch Of Theta's major rivals on Sunday. Bundle Award drops back in trip in the Premier Plate after a solid fifth to Voyage Bubble in the Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) when making late ground from the tail of the field. The John Size-trained gelding has won three races this season, crowned by last month's Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m). 'He's another good ride. He ran very well the other day in the mile-and-a-half race,' Atzeni said. 'If you take away the winner Voyage Bubble, it was a very close finish – there wasn't far between second, third, fourth and fifth. I didn't get stuck behind horses but if I got a slightly better run in the straight, I think I would have finished a lot closer. 'Back down into a Group Three handicap with a bottom weight [of 115lb], I know he's dropping back to 1,800m but he won over it before he went on to run in the Derby. 'It's a competitive race, but with the weight difference I think he's definitely well in.' Bundle Award jumps from gate 13 in an even race featuring the likes of dual Group Two winner Straight Arron, Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hero Cap Ferrat and last-start Group Three Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m) winner Pray For Mir. Blazing Wukong, an impressive debut winner for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai, and Frankie Lor Fu-chuen's talented three-year-old South Star are among the best of Atzeni's other rides this weekend. 'Blazing Wukong is a really nice horse. He trialled the other day and looked like he's sharpened up from his first run,' Atzeni said. 'It looks like a nice race, but I do like my horse and I think whatever he does this season, he's going to be a much better horse for next year. 'South Star is another horse I like a lot. It's a very good race with some young horses who could be pretty smart next season taking each other on.'
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
How is a grass roots football league scoring economic goals in China's Jiangsu province?
Football coach Pan Xin was impressed by the vibrant atmosphere at the Jiangsu City Football League's opening match a month ago, but admits to being surprised it has persisted. Advertisement The game drew a large crowd – including senior provincial officials – with cheerleaders adding a dash of colour, and was broadcast live by state media, he said. 'It felt like a great start to the event, but I didn't anticipate such a lasting impact,' said Pan, who coaches a youth football team in Danyang, Jiangsu province. Over the past month, the grass roots football league – known colloquially as the Su Super League – has attracted millions of online viewers and thousands of fans to stadiums, sparking a consumption boom in products ranging from match tickets to local specialities. Chinese soccer fans, repeatedly disappointed by the men's national football team, which was knocked out of the Asian qualifiers for next year's World Cup after losing to Indonesia earlier this month, are showing unprecedented enthusiasm for the amateur tournament in the east coast province. Advertisement Featuring 13 city-based teams with players from diverse backgrounds, the league has become a commercial juggernaut, with the rekindled passion boosting consumption.
