Dual layout, based in Guizhou, aimed at the whole country—China's football dream in the "mountains"

Reporter Chen Yong reports “Where in Guizhou are there no mountains?” “Guizhou is all mountains.” This dialogue reflects the perspective of both an outsider and a Guiyang local. Yet, this formerly remote area has undergone significant changes since the establishment of New China, particularly in the second decade of the 21st century, as the once insurmountable barriers have been replaced by thousands of bridges—over 20,000 in total, with 80% of the world's top 100 high bridges located in China, nearly 50 of which are in Guizhou. Regarding high-speed rail, Guizhou only entered this era 11 years ago in 2014, but now, its high-speed rail mileage is set to reach 1,800 kilometers, with plans for full coverage across nine cities and states by the end of this year.

The vision and ambition of Guizhou people have traversed mountains with bridges and connected to the nation and the world through high-speed rail, and Guizhou football is no exception.

When discussing Guizhou football, most fans think of Guizhou Renhe and Guizhou Zhicheng. The former has wandered various leagues, while the latter was short-lived; both have now disappeared, leaving Guizhou fans with bittersweet memories. However, Guizhou is the province in the western region with the most national and professional players outside Sichuan and Chongqing: from the older generation like Li Bing to the '89 generation's Fan Yunlong, Jiang Liang, and Yi Teng, and then to the explosive emergence of Xie Pengfei, Luo Jing, Zang Yifeng, Chen Zhongliu, Zhang Wentao, and Fang Jingqi, followed by Xiang Hantian, and now Chen Chenzhenyang, who plays for Zhucheng Athletic.

Guizhou football is best known for the "Village Super," which has recently welcomed the "Western Youth Training Pilot" in Bijie (a pilot program for integrating sports and education in football training in the western region). The "Village Super" has gone through three stages: a self-entertainment phase, an open invitation phase for friends from all over, and now a national competition and finals phase, establishing a system.

Regarding the "Western Youth Training Pilot" in Bijie, generally speaking, putting in maximum effort to make the pilot itself successful would suffice, but Guizhou football aims beyond Bijie and the pilot, using it as an opportunity to comprehensively plan the overall development of Guizhou football:

(1) In terms of regional layout, Guizhou has established a "one main, four auxiliary" regional structure, with Bijie as the main hub, supported by Guiyang, Zunyi, Qiannan, and Qianxinan. Bijie has completed the construction of its municipal youth training center and is currently developing county-level training centers in Zhijin and Weining, with plans for a training center in Jinsha. It has also established youth teams from U9 to U14, receiving widespread recognition for its football development, ranking among the top in cities designated as "Western Youth Training Pilots"; Guiyang, as the provincial capital, is the best city for football development in Guizhou, where most of the national team players hail from. Guiyang is, in fact, another major center for Guizhou football, with significant plans for the development of professional clubs; Zunyi has a foundation in sports education integration and event advantages, exemplified by the large scale of the "Zunyi Cup"; Qiannan's Duyun Football Town is Guizhou's largest football base, featuring 31 football fields; Qianxinan is a key area for national football support, with various football activities underway. Statistics show that in 2024, these five cities collectively hosted 3,654 football matches.

(2) In terms of overall planning, the development of Guizhou football has received high attention from the provincial party committee and government, establishing a joint meeting system for football reform and development, chaired by the vice governor. A special working group for youth football training has been formed, covering multiple departments in sports education, and policies such as the "Guizhou Province Youth Training Center Construction Plan" have been refined into a "1+N" policy system. In overall planning, Guizhou football takes the "Village Super" as an opportunity and focuses on "summer training and competitions," emphasizing the creation of a football atmosphere and the integration of "football + cultural tourism," which can inject stronger vitality into Guizhou football.

(3) In terms of work measures, focusing on youth training as the core task, with learning, training, and competition as coordinates, aiming to produce results, experiences, and talents, building training centers, teams, talent archives, events, and support systems, while emphasizing early intervention, small-scale engagement, integration, and meticulous planning. Additionally, given the geographical conditions of the plateau, it has planned a tactical direction emphasizing endurance and agility, constructing a "Guizhou style" through standardized training models. More detailed explanations of the "summer training and competitions" system will follow.

(4) In terms of exchange and cooperation, the focus is on comprehensive collaboration with the China Football Development Foundation. For example, the "Village Super" originated from the county-level social football events initiated by the foundation, and in social youth training institutions, there is also collaboration to enhance the quality of these institutions. On August 6, the opening ceremony of the 2025 Summer Camp for Youth Football in Midwestern County Regions (Zhijin Station) and the signing ceremony for the "Love Seed Action" were held at Yucai School in Zhijin County, Guizhou. The "Love Seed Action" aims to provide nutritional support for left-behind children in the western region, improving their nutritional intake in football activities. Interviews revealed that the proportion of left-behind children in Zhijin County is as high as 38%, and engaging them in football is a positive combination; providing them with nutritional support can help them continue participating in the sport sustainably.

Of course, exchange and cooperation also include collaboration with regions in China that have well-developed football systems and international partnerships, such as establishing a bilateral channel with the Spanish club Huesca to introduce youth training coaches while sending excellent coaches abroad for training.

Using Bijie's "Western Youth Training Pilot" as an opportunity, Guizhou coordinates the overall layout and development of football, while also aiming beyond its own football development; starting in 2025, "summer training and competitions" will become the primary focus for Guizhou.

From July 28 to August 3, the 2025 Guizhou "Spark Cup" International Youth Football Invitation Tournament was successfully held, with 12 teams from seven countries, including Spain, Kenya, Japan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Thailand, and China participating. The Guizhou U13 team, after losing 1-4 to Yokohama F. Marinos in the group stage, fought hard in the semifinals on August 1, drawing 1-1 with Yokohama and winning on penalties to advance to the finals, where they defeated the Shanghai Port U13 team 1-0 to claim the championship.

The "Spark Cup" is the umbrella term for youth football events in Guizhou, including city-level events like the "Spark Cup" Bijie Youth Football Super League; at the provincial level, there is the Guizhou "Spark Cup" Youth Football League; the international youth football invitation tournament is the highest level of the "Spark Cup" events. Other national competitions include the "Zunyi Cup," "Shining Five Continents Cup," and "Habi Cup," among others.

These events are collectively referred to as "summer training and competitions" by Guizhou football enthusiasts, as they primarily take place during the summer, leveraging Guizhou's unique advantage of cool summer weather. Currently, the "summer training and competitions" consist of independent events, but after 2025, Guizhou football enthusiasts plan to upgrade this into a more systematic, nationwide "summer training and competitions" framework.

National "summer training and competitions" have precedents in the world football scene. Taking the southern coast of Spain, a major training hub, as an example, cities and towns like Malaga, Marbella, and Cadiz boast excellent football facilities. More importantly, professional event companies have meticulously planned accommodations, meals, training, matches, and travel for teams, coordinating appropriate warm-up opponents based on team requirements, including matches among training squads and games with local teams. For instance, during the golden age of football, many Chinese Super League teams went to Spain for training, and although it was during the league season for Spanish Segunda B (equivalent to the current Primera Federación), teams still engaged in warm-up matches with Super League teams. Likewise, combining "home" and "away" matches allows for a balanced schedule, contributing to the establishment of a training paradise in world football.

Guiyang, located in the center of the province, benefits from excellent high-speed rail connections, with travel times between Guiyang and cities like Bijie, Zunyi, Kaili, Rongjiang, Duyun, Liupanshui, and Anshun ranging from 30 minutes to one hour. As for facilities, Guiyang plans to build a provincial youth training center in Qingzhen City, with plans for 10 standard fields and 2 indoor fields; Bijie has already established a municipal youth training center with 3 standard fields, while Zhijin and Weining training centers are under construction; Duyun boasts the largest football base in Guizhou; Rongjiang plans to build 20 standard fields over the next decade; and Zunyi, Anshun, and Liupanshui also have corresponding facility development plans.

On this foundation, a comprehensive coordination of "summer training and competitions" will be implemented, creating a systematic "summer training and competitions" guide, planning accommodations and training sites, organizing competitive matches and large-scale invitation tournaments, and coordinating transportation. For example, to address the issue of rising hotel prices during the summer in Guizhou, campus dormitories could be utilized to provide support for "summer training and competitions" teams, saving costs. Moreover, the integration of culture and tourism makes Guizhou an excellent destination for travel and leisure, offering quality services for the parents of young players.

This vast "summer training and competitions" system naturally faces significant coordination challenges, but with a phased and persistent approach, Guizhou is fully capable of becoming the best venue for youth football events in China during the summer. Given that summer is the peak period for official youth competitions in China, it is also essential for Guizhou to comprehensively bid for the China Youth Football League.

The true significance of "summer training and competitions" lies in building a systematic "summer training" framework based on the existing winter training systems (in Yunnan, Hainan, Guangdong), achieving an organic combination of "training + competition." If Guizhou's national "summer training and competitions" model matures, it will undoubtedly provide significant support for youth training in China.