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Grassroots sports events empower rural revitalization

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By Fan Jiayuan, Sun Longfei, People’s Daily

 

With flags flying high, the melodious sound of the reed pipes, the resounding beats of drums and gongs, cheerleaders dancing and singing, and a packed stadium, the 2024 season of the Village Super League, or “Cun Chao” in Chinese, kicked off on Jan. 6, 2024 in Rongjiang county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture of southwest China’s Guizhou province.

 

“The new season sees a significant increase in the number of participating football teams. Last year, the Village Super League featured 20 teams, while this year, over 1,800 players from 62 football teams will partake in the new season,” said Lai Hongjing, a member of the organizing committee of Village Super League and a P.E. teacher of No.1 Middle School of Rongjiang county.

 

“Cun Chao” is a grassroots football league that has gained popularity in China in recent years. Chinese internet users dub it the “Village Super League”, drawing inspiration from renowned leagues such as the English Premier League and the Chinese Super League.

 

By hosting the Village Super League matches, Rongjiang, with a population of less than 400,000, became a sensation last year, attracting attention and generating revenue.

 

According to the Village Super League Office of Rongjiang county, from May 13 to Dec. 31, 2023, “Cun Chao” received more than 58 billion page views online, and the livestreams of the matches attracted more than 600 million views online.

 

During the same period, Rongjiang received 7.33 million tourist arrivals, translating to tourism income of 8.113 billion yuan (about $113 million).

 

The success of “Cun Chao” is attributed to the fervent football community in the local area.

 

In the 1990s, residents of Rongjiang county started to organize matches on open fields. Presently, the county boasts 25 football fields, 35 registered teams, and 41 schools offering football coaching. Nearly 50,000 people in the county play football.

 

“Cun Chao” is not the only sports event that has been deeply involved in the grassroots and has achieved great success.

 

In Taipan village, located in Taijiang county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, the local community upholds the tradition of playing basketball during festivals. Through the establishment of the “Cun BA”, or Village Basketball Competition, Taijiang county received over 2 million tourist arrivals in a year, resulting in tourism revenue exceeding 2.3 billion yuan.

 

In Wenchang, a county-level city in south China’s Hainan province, every village has its own volleyball court and everyone plays volleyball. The popularity of the village volleyball league has now extended from offline to online platforms.

 

Village sports events, originating from rural areas, play a significant role in the development of these regions. By actively involving the local community and capturing people’s attention, these events have unlocked a multitude of values.

 

Various rural sports events have also stimulated economic development.

 

During the breaks between the matches, the audiences were treated to captivating cultural performances. Outside the sports venues, e-commerce live-streaming sessions were hosted, offering a platform to sell a wide range of cultural and creative products.

 

Sports events have played a role in empowering the tourism and cultural industries, paving a new path towards rural revitalization. They have brought attention to Guizhou’s distinctive cuisine, agricultural products, and intangible cultural heritage.

 

They have also led to the creation of tourism projects and increased employment opportunities for the local community. The online buzz generated by these events has translated into increased offline foot traffic, ultimately benefiting the residents of Guizhou.

 

The thriving rural sports events allow more people to appreciate the charm of sports and experience the excitement of competition.

 

To demonstrate their support, villagers raised funds for their teams, stitched team emblems, and offered their seats to accommodate tourists. They even formed a volunteer team of drivers to contribute their share to the games.

 

Yang Bing, a commentator for the “Cun Chao”, said sports serve as a bond that unites people, instilling a sense of confidence in the local culture of Rongjiang.

 

Mass sports, deeply ingrained in rural areas, continue to exude vitality, infusing a fresh atmosphere into the hosting regions.

 

During the Village Super League matches, young entrepreneurs who have returned to their hometowns after graduating from college hosted live-streaming sessions, promoting local agricultural products. The impact of “Cun BA” is evident, as many neighboring villages have reaped the benefits of these basketball games.

 

“Over the past decade, driving rural revitalization through sports has emerged as a prominent aspect of China’s sports industry development, yielding many success stories. The innovative approaches implemented in Rongjiang county and Taijiang county serve as valuable references for integrating culture, sports, and tourism to stimulate economic and social development, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of the people for a better life,” said Wang Xueli, director of Tsinghua University Sports Industry Development Research Center.

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Foreign

BREAKING: Trump Orders Investigation into Reported Christian Killings in Nigeria

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By: Fabian Apechihin

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has directed lawmakers to launch an immediate investigation into reports of widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing the situation as a “Christian genocide.”

In a statement released Friday evening via his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed grave concern over the violence, blaming radical Islamist groups for what he called a “mass slaughter.”

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote.

The U.S. President announced that he is designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alarming figures of killings within the country compared to global totals.

“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria — something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” Trump stated.

He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” pledging that his administration remains ready “to protect Christian populations around the world.”

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Defence/Security

Polish MEP Raises Alarm Over Killings of Christians in Nigeria

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By: Fabian Apechihin

Polish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Dominik Tarczyński, has once again drawn global attention to what he described as the ongoing persecution and killings of Christians in Nigeria.

In a post on his verified 𝕏 account on Monday, Tarczyński shared an image of a blood-stained Nigerian flag alongside a viral video showing a pastor conducting a burial ceremony for victims of violence.

In the video, the pastor lamented the frequent killings, saying:

“We are tired of performing burial every day, and they expect us to remain silent. It has become an order, and the Nigerian government came out to deny the massacre, saying there is no genocide of Christians in Nigeria. United Nations, you’re watching me. The American Parliament is aware of what we are doing now. My special request is to President Trump to save our lives in Nigeria. They are killing more Christians. If they say they kill Muslims, the Muslims are killed by who? Muslims are killed by Muslims.”

Tarczyński’s post quickly went viral, sparking widespread reactions and renewed calls for the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to combat banditry and terrorism.

However, the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of a religiously targeted genocide. In a recent statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described such allegations as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”

Idris maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and not driven by religious motives, warning that framing the fight against terrorism as an anti-Christian campaign could deepen existing social and religious divides.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting all Nigerians, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and called on international partners and media outlets to “refrain from narratives that distort the country’s security realities.”

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Foreign

Two Dead After Cargo Plane Skids Off Hong Kong Runway Into Sea

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By: Fabian Apechihin

Two airport security officers were killed early Monday after a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, struck their patrol vehicle, and plunged into the sea.

The incident involved Emirates flight EK9788, a Boeing 747 arriving from Dubai around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT Sunday). The aircraft veered off the north runway, crashed through perimeter fencing, and collided with the patrol vehicle, pushing it into the water. Both occupants of the vehicle died, while the plane’s four crew members survived.

According to officials, the plane ended up partially submerged, making it one of Hong Kong Airport’s deadliest aviation accidents in years. Two other runways remain operational as investigations continue.

Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu said the patrol vehicle had been travelling on a service road outside the runway’s perimeter at a “safe distance” when the plane suddenly turned off course.
“Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said during a press briefing. He emphasized that the patrol car “definitely did not enter the runway” and that the aircraft had not sent a distress signal before landing.

Divers later recovered the bodies of the victims—two men aged 30 and 41—about five meters from the shore and seven meters underwater. One was confirmed dead at the scene, and the other died in hospital.

Hong Kong’s transport bureau expressed condolences to the victims’ families, describing the event as “deeply saddening.”

Emirates confirmed the accident, saying the cargo plane “sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong.” The airline noted there was no cargo onboard and that the aircraft had been wet-leased—meaning operated with crew and insurance—from Turkish carrier ACT Airlines.

Firefighters reached the scene within two minutes, rescuing all four crew members who had escaped via the aircraft’s emergency slides. Photos from the crash site show the plane broken in half, with part of its fuselage submerged in water.

Authorities are now searching for the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders (“black boxes”). A police spokesperson said criminal investigations have not been ruled out.

The affected runway will remain closed pending the outcome of the investigation. At least 11 incoming cargo flights were cancelled on Monday, according to airport authorities.

This is only the second fatal aviation accident at Hong Kong International Airport since it relocated to Chek Lap Kok in 1998. The previous one occurred in 1999, when a China Airlines jet crash-landed during a typhoon, killing three people.

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