Guangxi cooperates with Uruguay in football

Guangxi will cooperate with Uruguay to establish football training bases, offer training to coaches and players, and build a Football Small Town in Guilin.

A cooperation agreement was signed between the Department of Sport of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Ministry of Sport of Uruguay on March 22.

Football is a national obsession in Uruguay. The country holds one of the game's most storied histories, as it has earned two gold medals in the Olympic Games, lifted the trophy of the FIFA World Cup twice, and won the Copa América more than any other country.

Fernando Cáceres, the Minister of Sports of Uruguay, shared the formula for Uruguay's success at a symposium later that day. The second-smallest nation in South America, Uruguay contains a total of 61 stadiums, most of which are used for football.

The country attaches great importance to cultivating young football players and provides them with top-notch coaches. Many Uruguayans join junior football teams between the ages of five to 12. These teams compete with each other on weekends. Teenagers who show potential may start a professional career as young as 13, said Cáceres.

Li Ze, director of the Department of Sport of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, expected cooperation with Uruguay to attract high-caliber coaches and nurture more young soccer players.

Guangxi plans to put more focus on training young football players. [Photo by Li Jun/Beihai Evening Post]