Sporting tradition

In recent years, the county has focused on gymnastics, soccer, rock climbing and other sports and has developed outstanding national and provincial-level sporting talent.

The county has a rich soccer history and a solid foundation, with 14 soccer fields, 35 registered teams, and thousands of soccer players.

"In Rongjiang, there are nearly 50,000 soccer enthusiasts. Every village has at least one soccer team," Xu said.

Rural soccer matches have taken place regularly since the 1990s.

When there was a lack of facilities, soccer players used barren land as a field and wooden stakes for the posts. The boundaries were marked out with lime powder.

Nowadays, there are 14 regulation soccer fields that are provided for teams to use free of charge.

Although the players may not be as skillful as professionals, fans appreciate their dedication and enthusiasm. However, there are bursts of exquisite passing and shooting to thrill the crowds.

During a match in May, Wu Chuguo, a decoration worker from Liubaitang village, scored a spectacular 40-meter goal that ignited the crowd.

Wu said he was influenced by elders in his village and fell in love with the sport. He said the village team was formed 10 years ago from a diverse group. When they can't gather enough players together they play futsal, a soccer-based game played on a smaller hard court.

Yang Bing, captain of the Kouzhai village team, said there is a consensus among villagers that, "those who have money contribute financially, and those who have strength contribute physically".

A 94-year-old grandmother insisted on donating 50 yuan to buy water for the players, stating that refusing to let her do so would mean excluding her from making a contribution to the team. "The entire village supports the team's efforts, resulting in considerable financial assistance of about 40,000 yuan," Yang said.

Yang is a bank director in Tianzhu county, Qiandongnan prefecture. When the tournament is on he drives to Rongjiang every Friday after work.

When he is not playing, he works as a commentator. Thanks to his humorous commentary style and familiarity with the players and local culture, as a member of the Dong ethnic group, Yang is popular both online and in person.

He is also the village's youth coach. Since 2017, Yang and several other villagers have taught children how to play soccer during winter and summer holidays and provided them with free training equipment.

Last summer, the Village Basketball Association competition, dubbed "Village BA", in Qiandongnan's Taijiang county also boomed in popularity due to its lively atmosphere and physical style of play.

The two tournaments are similar in many ways.

Their players come from various ethnic groups, such as the Miao, Dong, Sui, Han and Yao. Both events are organized by grassroots people and showcase and promote local ethnic cultures, which contribute to the economic development of the region.

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in conjunction with the General Administration of Sport, issued a notice to hold the national beautiful countryside basketball tournament (Village BA). The status upgrade reflects the growing popularity of grassroots sports events.