Behind the prestigious Centennial School Cup, this group of people in Nansha is striving hard.

Written by/Nan Nan At 5:30 AM, in Huangge, Nansha, Wu Qingjin rides his motorcycle from home. He wears a thin long-sleeve shirt, worried that the morning coolness could make him cold, which might affect the kids who will be on his bike later. Nansha is developing rapidly, with numerous infrastructure projects underway. As he leaves the village, Wu Qingjin carefully avoids the excavated ground, gently pressing the clutch with his left foot and twisting the throttle with his right hand, causing the red tail light of his motorcycle to quickly vanish around the bend just ahead of the village exit.

Before 7 AM, Wu Qingjin has already driven the bus to the west gate of Guangzhou Youlian International School (hereafter referred to as Guangzhou Youlian School). Before leaving the company, he meticulously checked the vehicle’s condition. His colleague, who transported the children last night, had already cleaned both the inside and outside of the bus and charged it fully, ensuring it was ready for the round trip between Guangzhou Youlian School and the Hengli Citizen Sports Center football field the next day. Wu Qingjin’s job is not complicated; he simply transports players participating in the Centennial School Cup between Guangzhou Youlian School and Hengli Stadium every day.

If he encounters a late shift, Wu Qingjin returns home after 11 PM. Whenever players and coaches thank him for his hard work, he always replies, “The kids work harder, playing matches in such hot weather.” Sometimes, Wu Qingjin would sneak into the tunnel at Hengli Stadium to watch the matches of the kids on his bus. “They play better than in the Chinese Super League, full of energy and determination,” Wu Qingjin said.

For Nansha District, the significance of hosting the Centennial School Football Elite Exchange Competition is immense. Located at the geographical center of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ouyang Jianhua, a member of the Nansha District Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, stated during the opening ceremony that Nansha is committed to providing the highest standards of support and services, creating a fair and just competition environment and a comfortable and convenient event experience.

High standards stem from importance. “We are responding to the vigorous development direction of sports and cultural events in Nansha District, hoping to achieve greater breakthroughs at the school level through hosting this event,” said Huang Weiting, assistant principal of Guangzhou Youlian School. “This event has received significant attention from the Nansha District government, the Football newspaper, and various organizations, and the school also hopes to use this opportunity to engage in deeper exchanges with renowned schools across the country.”

High standards are also reflected in the details. To fully ensure the success of this event, the natural grass pitch at Youlian School began specialized maintenance a month in advance. “Last year, we improved the pitch height by one centimeter through professional sand application, solidifying the foundation,” explained Zeng Jiena, the person in charge of providing one-stop services for the campus. “For this pre-event maintenance, we are even more meticulous: enhancing ventilation and drainage through precise perforation, implementing millimeter-level local sand filling to ensure absolute flatness, using drones for even nutrient distribution, and conducting five rounds of progressive mowing—each mowing strictly coordinated with irrigation, layer by layer, significantly improving grass density and field evenness, ultimately resulting in an exceptionally uniform and lush green lawn.” She emphasized, “The end of one day’s events is not the finish line. That night, we will conduct deep irrigation to ensure the field condition remains consistent for the next day, maintaining the high standards required for the event.”

The high-standard pitch provided by Guangzhou Youlian School has received unanimous praise from the 16 participating teams. Hu Hao, the head coach who has led Chengdu Liewu in many provincial, national, and even youth competitions, gave high praise to the pitch quality, stating, “Except for the Kunming Youth Championship, we haven't had the chance to compete on such a good field in many places. We are very grateful to Football and Nansha District for providing us with such an outstanding venue.”

Hosting an event is never easy. Although Guangzhou Youlian School has rich experience in summer camps and study tours, organizing a football event of this scale, involving over 400 people in a short time, remains a challenge for the school. Huang Weiting stated, “The school has developed comprehensive contingency plans for the challenges posed by this event. In the months leading up to the event, with the support of the district’s cultural and sports bureau, the school has communicated thoroughly with all parties involved and held multiple working meetings to ensure adequate preparation and reserves before the event. However, facing different expectations from various parties, we feel considerable pressure.”

During the pre-event joint meeting, several teams provided suggestions regarding the event preparations. Huang Weiting and Lin Cui, who is responsible for logistical support for the event, recorded each party's requests and quickly began coordinating adjustments after the meeting.

“Resolving issues on the same day is a principle that Guangzhou Youlian School has always adhered to. When faced with any project-related questions or challenges in execution, we communicate fully with the executing units, coaches, and children from each team, aiming to resolve the difficulties and challenges we face on the same day,” Huang Weiting said. Less than two hours after the joint meeting concluded, a new set of adjustments that met the expectations of all participating teams was announced, earning a thumbs-up from many team leaders and coaches for Guangzhou Youlian School. Openness and efficiency were the deepest impressions left by Guangzhou Youlian School on the participating teams on the first day.

July is the height of summer, and high temperatures are one of the challenges faced during the matches. The ice blocks and cooling supplies prepared by the organizing committee need to be stored at low temperatures. Guangzhou Youlian School has cleared part of its kitchen space for ice block storage, ensuring they are readily available. At the same time, the school opened its medical room, with staff on duty 24 hours a day, working with the medical personnel at the competition venue to provide a comprehensive medical safety net for the participants. “During the event, the 120 emergency team primarily handles on-site emergencies, while the medical room staff provides support. During breaks in the event, the medical room's on-duty nurse conducts preliminary assessments and basic treatment for injuries, and in emergencies, they immediately coordinate with the 120 emergency team,” Lin Cui said.

To ensure ample communication among teams from all over the country, the Centennial School Cup was designed with a schedule of six matches over seven days from the outset. While this allows for extensive interaction, it also means a packed competition schedule. To alleviate the physical fatigue caused by daily matches, Guangzhou Youlian School has tailored activities such as movie blind boxes, unplugged concerts, English competitions, and campus photo opportunities for the participants, allowing them various ways to relax amid the intense competition, while also encouraging them to put down their phones, leave their dorms, and experience the campus environment of Guangzhou Youlian School.

When the noise of a day’s matches subsides, Master Wang Tianyi, responsible for maintaining the pitch, activates the sprinkler system to water the field. The children see Master Wang coming and instinctively leave the field, as in their hearts, the pitch holds greater importance. Master Wang always says, “The pitch looks so beautiful because it’s meant for the kids to play on. Watching them enjoy their game makes me very happy.”

Every match of the Centennial School Football Elite Exchange Competition features 20 to 30 players battling hard, but behind every player’s sweat are the silent efforts of Huang Weiting, Zeng Jiena, Lin Cui, Wang Tianyi, and Wu Qingjin—these dedicated individuals from Nansha.