Zhaoqing leverages the "Bay Area Cup" to create a high-level youth football exchange platform

On July 20, the second "Bay Area Cup" Zhaoqing Youth Football Invitational Tournament came to an end at the football stadium of the Zhaoqing New District Sports Center. This event attracted nearly a thousand young players from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and even Thailand to participate in the competition. During the five-day fierce battle, 66 teams left countless wonderful moments on the green field. This youth football event, Zhaoqing deeply used the professional experience of the National Games to create a high-level youth football exchange platform based on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and radiate to the international community, polishing the business card of the sports city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In the final of the

U11 group, two teams from Shenzhen held a wonderful showdown. Photo by reporter Liu Haohui

This year's "Bay Area Cup" has a deep "National Games mark". The person in charge of the event organizer said that this event basically refers to the model and standards of the women's football team under 18 years old group competitions held in Zhaozhou, providing services and guarantees for participating teams. Professional services at the National Games level benefit grassroots football events for the first time.

"National Games Imprint" is reflected in all aspects - the experienced referee team ensures the smoothness and fairness of the game, and the precise judgment won the respect of the participating teams; on the day of the final, it was raining heavily in Zhaoqing, but the football stadium of the Zhaoqing New District Sports Center showed excellent drainage performance to ensure the exciting and smooth progress of the competition; under the stadium, the organizer provided meticulous hotel food and accommodation arrangements and professional and orderly venue organization, which was highly praised by the participating teams.

"Zhaoqing's stadium is very professional. It is the first time that many children play in such a professional stadium. This is a valuable life experience." Chen Zhirong, head coach of Shenzhen Meisha Primary School football team, said that the logistical support for the event is very in place, reflecting the achievements of Zhaoqing's efficient use of the experience of the National Games and promoting the development of national fitness and youth sports. The person in charge of the

event organizer said that with professional venue facilities and refined event operation capabilities, Zhaoqing is now gradually becoming an important hub for youth football exchanges in the Greater Bay Area.

The name of the "Bay Area Cup" demonstrates the positioning of this event to be based on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and promote regional sports exchanges. The event attracted a large number of Bay Area urban teams to participate. The team from Shenzhen won the championships in three categories, while the team from Huizhou won the championships in two categories. The local team in Zhaoqing is also actively leveraging its home court advantages to participate in high-level events and improve its competitive level.

Another highlight of this event is the participation of international teams. The Thai-Hong Kong team from Thailand finally won the U9 category championship trophy. After the game, the members of the Thai-Hong Kong team said: "The level of Chinese young players is very high, which encourages us to train harder when we go back. I hope we can come to Zhaoqing again next time." Parents also felt the urban charm of Zhaoqing during the game: "The scenery of Zhaoqing is beautiful, and I look forward to coming again next time." This kind of cross-border youth sports and cultural exchanges have added a unique international dimension to the "Bay Area Cup" and also enhanced Zhaoqing's urban image. The person in charge of the organizer of the event said that the youth football training will be officially launched in the second half of the year, effectively introducing the platform resources accumulated by the "Bay Area Cup" and the attention gathered into the construction of the local youth training system, and striving to build a virtuous cycle of "using competitions to promote training and feeding competitions", laying a solid foundation for the future development of Zhaoqing football and even the Greater Bay Area football.

This "Bay Area Cup" competition is not only a stage for competition, but also a vivid practice for Zhaoqing to use his experience in organizing the National Games to give full play to his own advantages and further polish the business card of the Sports City of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.