New Delhi: Thousands of supporters have gathered at Rongjiang’s football field on a sweltering night for the Guizhou Village Super League final. The matchup between Dongmen village and Dangxiang village is a highly exciting clash, highly local competition. This little weekly village football match has gone popular in China thanks to pictures of supporters cheering on the players—who could be farmers, students, or business owners—who are clad in traditional ethnic costumes and beating drums on social media.
Tens of thousands of people from all around the nation have been motivated to witness it for themselves on any given weekend by these videos. The village league matches are free to watch, but getting here requires a three-hour trip from Guiyang, the provincial capital, via the mountains.
However, according to official data, millions of Chinese tourists have traveled there over the past 12 months to take in the atmosphere, increasing earnings for the tourism sector by about 75%. Small hotels are the main type of lodging that are offered; nonetheless, they sometimes book quickly during major sporting events. It’s the quintessential underdog tale.
How much it means to the players
People watch a village soccer super league match on June 23, 2023 in Rongjiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province of China. A total of 20 village teams took part in the match, attracting tens of thousands of people to the games. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
One of the last regions of China to be formally deemed free of “extreme poverty” was this one. In rural areas, the average yearly discretionary income was only $1,350 five years ago. Now that this recently formed league, which is only in its second year, has drawn such notoriety that it is changing the area. The athletes find it hard to believe that they manage to get that sort of attraction and more people have started noticing them.
One of the players from Dongmen village, Shen Yang, claimed that they don’t play football professionally but they just adore the beautiful game. He also said that they would play every week even if there was no Village Super League. Despite having just finished an all-night shift, Shen, a 32-year-old hospital maintenance worker, is one of Dongmen village’s primary attacking weapons on the field. When he was a child, he claims his parents detested him for playing football, but they have since changed their minds.
Shen’s parents own a small business and they have benefited from the economic boost this competition has brought to the area. While not everyone has gotten wealthy overnight, individuals who own small family hotels, eateries, and street vendors can undoubtedly make more money as a result of this athletic carnival.
A player from Zhongcheng village made it to the championship game the previous year, Dong Yongheng, is one of many who have gained more from the competition than just his on-field accomplishments. The former construction worker has successfully transformed the football spotlight into a family business.
The 35-year-old used to work in his aunt’s small business making rice rolls, a well-known street delicacy in Rongjiang. He recently launched his own multi-level eatery. There’s even a storefront selling football jerseys and other team paraphernalia.
However, Dongmen is being impeded by the younger and more agile Dangxiang village squad. Lu Jinfu, their top striker and the son of traveling laborers, recently completed his high school education. He smiles shyly in response to the curiosity of nearby children who want to snap photographs with him.
China’s viral village football league has manage to get some attantion from around the globe. Here’s a look at how the players feel about it and how the league has grown over time. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
