A group of young girls from the Yi ethnic group have been pursuing their football dreams with their sporting skills allowing them the chance to explore new opportunities outside of their underdeveloped rural county in a remote mountainous region of southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The development of a special training program has allowed dozens of young female footballers to hone their talents on the pitch and escape from their remote surroundings in Butuo County of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, thanks to the dedication of inspirational coach Aliang Zila.
Aliang returned to Butuo County to work as a PE teacher after completing his studies at Xichang University in 2007, and he soon sought to make his own mark at his local school.
After having grown up in the countryside, Aliang noticed that compared to children in urban areas, those in the mountainous regions may have lagged behind in other academic disciplines but displayed huge potential in sports.
Determined to harness this, he decided to teach the children football, hoping that their athletic abilities might one day help them break free from the limitations of their mountainous home.
Situated up to 3,000 meters above sea level, Butuo County experiences cold autumn and winter seasons that are far from ideal for football training. Moreover, the school infrastructure was severely lacking, with no football fields available at that time, so Aliang had to train the children on an uneven concrete surface.
However, conditions improved in 2016 when Aliang became the school principal. With the funds he raised, he was able to form the county's very first women's football team, as facilities improved.
"Yi ethnic girls are usually shy, a little introverted, and somewhat lacking in self-confidence. So, I thought about using sports to cultivate their positive and optimistic spirit -- specifically to help them build self-confidence through football. There is also a professional advantage to developing women's football. Women's football is relatively easier to achieve success in, because only when we succeed will people take notice of us. The more attention we receive, the more confident the girls become, which in turn improves the effectiveness of our education. For these reasons, I decided to develop women's football at the school," said the coach.
Since 2019, four groups of students -- more than 80 in total -- have been selected to receive better education and professional football training in major cities across the province. Over a dozen have earned the title of national first-class or second-class athletes, and some students have even been chosen for national training camps.
Satisfied with his work in Butuo, last year Aliang moved over to the Puge County some 100 kilometers away, where he took up a coaching role at another local school. There, he established a women's football team and, together with other teachers, worked tirelessly to ensure the students excelled in both their football training and academic studies.
These efforts are paying off and now an 18-member football team, with players ranging in age from 8 to 10, trains every morning before their first school class, and the passion for the sport is already blossoming among these youngsters.
"I play football every day. I believe playing with my teammates is the happiest part of my day," said young team member Sun Mengyuan. The school was officially designated by the local government as a "Football-Focused School" several years ago, and has tailored its curriculum and assigned dedicated teachers to allow students to focus more on football training. Currently, the school offers five physical education classes each week, including one dedicated football course, and more efforts are ongoing to upgrade the facilities. "We are seeking approval for the construction of a youth football training center, aimed at providing better equipment for students who are passionate about football and helping them develop their skills more effectively," said Naigu Cila, head of the Education, Sports and Science and Technology Bureau in Puge County.
In 2019, the Sichuan provincial government, in collaboration with the Education Bureau of Jinniu District in the provincial capital Chengdu, launched an educational assistance program in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture.
Some members of the Butuo County football team were selected to receive professional football training at the Chengdu No. 18 Middle School, marking their first step towards leaving the underdeveloped region.
"When I first came here, I couldn't adapt to the strange environment and strangers. But I think the biggest change for me is that after I started learning football, I walked out of the mountains and saw many different things that I didn't dare to think about before," said Acongme Rezi, a member of the football team.
Sun Jianwei, chief coach at the Chengdu No. 18 Middle School where the girls play, has been responsible for selecting players from Aliang's football team and providing professional training after their arrival in Chengdu. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of all involved, the chosen players have made rapid progress.
In addition to participating in numerous large-scale football competitions at the municipal, provincial, and even national level, where they have won several championships, the Chengdu No. 18 Middle School also maintains regular exchanges with campus football teams from Japan, Argentina, and Malaysia. "On behalf of middle school students in Sichuan Province, we participated in football matches in Japan twice and in Argentina once, and we won all four games in Argentina. This platform has truly broadened the horizons for our team members and the children from Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture," said Sun.
Over the last five years, a total of 40 players across three batches from Aliang's team have been selected to join the Chengdu No. 18 Middle School. Among them, five have advanced to provincial and national youth training teams - a point of pride for the coach who has helped them dream big. "At that time, to be honest, we never imagined that these students would take football as their major, let alone join a national team. However, through years of development, more than 80 students have gone on to receive quality education and professional training of football. Some of our children have even earned the title of national first-class athletes. Our initial goal is gradually being realized," said Aliang.
Passion for football helps female ethnic students embrace new opportunities outside rural county
