Youth footballers strengthen friendly city ties

A group of young footballers from Guangzhou's friendly cities Frankfurt in Germany, Lyon in France and Tel Aviv in Israel gathered in Guangzhou on Oct 27 for a special football competition.

Held by the foreign affairs office of the Guangzhou municipal government and Guangzhou municipal commission of education, the activity was aimed at promoting communication among young football players from Guangzhou and overseas.

Apart from taking part in the football match, the young foreign visitors were also treated to distinctive Guangdong dishes and visited some historic sites in the city.

"The football pitch is amazing," said 13-year-old player Davy from Frankfurt, commenting on the facilities at Zhixin High School where the competition was held. "We are glad to make friends with our peers from Guangzhou who share the same hobby with us."

The young players from Tel Aviv enjoyed their time in Guangzhou and even met Eran Zahavi, an Israeli football player who currently plays for Guangzhou R&F Football Club.   

Guangzhou, together with Frankfurt, Tel Aviv and Lyon has a distinctive football culture. The activities will be a good platform for the cities to promote people-to-people communication and boost development of the sports industry, said a spokesperson for sport in Guangzhou.

According to Claudia Colloseus, spokesperson of Mayor's office in Frankfurt, the city also intends to host a similar activity in the future.

Guangzhou put forward a plan to set up an international football communication school last year to boost the exchanges among young football players. The plan has received a positive response from cities including Frankfurt and Lyon. 

Young footballers from Guangzhou and Frankfurt play in Guangzhou on Oct 27. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]