Qidong is fully prepared, just waiting for the "Centenary Famous School Cup."

Chief reporter Chen Yong reports On the afternoon of the 20th, the two vice principals of Qidong No. 1 Middle School, Mao Honggang and Chen Xinjian, were still busy at the school. They had just finished hosting and reception work for the 2025 National Youth Volleyball Championship and Summer Camp (East China Region) and were now fully engaged in preparing for the 2025 Second Centenary Famous School Football Elite Exchange Competition (hereinafter referred to as the "Centenary Famous School Cup") for elementary schools. Mao Honggang was overseeing logistics, while Chen Xinjian was handling check-in preparations. More staff from Qidong No. 1 Middle School gave up their holidays to prepare for this event.

Zhou Xiping from the Education and Sports Bureau of Qidong City also immersed himself in Qidong No. 1 Middle School, inspecting the check-in area, dormitories, cafeteria, and venue preparations. Zhang Xiaohong, the secretary of the Party branch in charge of the competition at Qidong Sports Center and the director, along with competition supervisors, referees, and other staff, were preparing for competition-related matters.

Everything is for the children. Now Qidong is fully prepared, just waiting for the opening of the "Centenary Famous School Cup" elementary school group on the 22nd.

Qidong No. 1 Middle School is a modern full-boarding high school built with an investment of 400 million RMB from the Qidong Municipal Government. The school's infrastructure is top-notch, featuring advanced facilities such as a gymnasium, sports field, and a year-round temperature-controlled swimming pool, with the gym seating 3,760 people, providing excellent venue conditions. These outstanding facilities have allowed Qidong No. 1 Middle School to host various competitions at the national, Jiangsu Province, Nantong City, and Qidong City levels, including the recently concluded volleyball event and last year's "Old Eight Schools" high school campus football championship in Nantong City.

In preparation for the "Centenary Famous School Cup," Qidong No. 1 Middle School has made comprehensive preparations in areas such as venues, accommodation, and catering. "Principal Chen Zhihui attaches great importance to this event, coordinating related work multiple times. Qidong No. 1 Middle School will do its utmost to provide excellent service. Our conditions may not match those of comprehensive football bases, but we will offer our best facilities to welcome children from all over the country, allowing them to enjoy the joy of football and experience the charm of Qidong," said Mao Honggang and Chen Xinjian to the reporter.

For reception, to ensure that the participating teams from various elementary schools feel at home, Qidong City has set up reception points at Nantong West Station, Nantong Station, Qidong Station, Hongqiao Airport/High-speed Railway Station, and Pudong Airport. Qidong City’s 15 primary and secondary schools are corresponding with 15 participating teams from across the country, handling all related matters during the event. This "one-on-one" reception model naturally provides more convenience for the participating teams.

During the preparation period for the "Centenary Famous School Cup," everyone from Lu Haifeng, the Party Secretary and Director of the Education and Sports Bureau of Qidong City, to Lu Qinghua, the director of the Education Service Center, and second-level director Shichao, as well as staff from Qidong Sports Center and relevant cultural and tourism departments, and from Qidong No. 1 Middle School to another 15 primary and secondary schools, are all working hard to ensure the success of the event, fully demonstrating the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the Qidong education and sports system.

“This competition has received high attention from both the city and the bureau, requiring everything to be treated with the highest standards and strictest requirements to ensure high-quality execution of the event,” Zhou Xiping and Zhang Xiaohong told the reporter. During the interview, Zhou Xiping was continuously coordinating related competition matters with leaders from the Education and Sports Bureau via phone. Zhang Xiaohong added, “The supervisors and referees for this competition are all professionals and coaches from the Qidong Education and Sports Bureau and local primary and secondary schools, with referees being first-level referees who have performed excellently in past football events. We will ensure fairness, justice, and transparency, and we believe they will gain more experience and improvement through this event.”

The first team to check in was the Xilin South Road Primary School from the Saihan District of Hohhot. They took the G3752 high-speed train and transferred to the K1983 train, taking 12 hours and 33 minutes to finally arrive in Qidong. Currently, Inner Mongolia places great importance on football development, fully cooperating with the national football revitalization plan, and vigorously developing youth football in various leagues and cities. Xilin South Road Primary School will also showcase its talents at the "Centenary Famous School Cup."

Nankai Primary School in Shapingba District, Chongqing, will be the last team to arrive, taking the D2270 high-speed train, departing at 7:30 AM. The development of campus football in Chongqing is rapid, and their youth training league serves as a model for key cities in national football development as well as the entire youth football training league in China. This primary school has nurtured former national players Wei Xin, Zhao Hejing, and Cheng Jin, among others.

In comparison, the Xuejun Primary School in Hangzhou and the Experimental Primary School in Yixing, located in the Yangtze River Delta, have the convenience of traveling by bus. Zhejiang Province and Hangzhou City place great emphasis on football development, with Hangzhou's youth men's football led by Greentown Youth Training, progressing comprehensively, and women's football entering the national top tier. Yixing's football development is similarly impressive, achieving excellent results in the youth competitions.

Among the participating teams are many well-known teams from across the country: Shaanxi Normal University Affiliated Primary School is the champion team of the 2024 "2034 Cup" primary school football tournament, while Zhengzhou Zhongyuan District Zhengshang Road Primary School has produced numerous national players such as Gao Lin, Wang Shangyuan, Cheng Jin, and Gu Yasha.

Qidong is the earliest place to see the sunrise in Jiangsu Province, with countless tourists witnessing the sun rise at Yuantuojiao Beach. From July 21 to 27, the alma maters of these national players will strive for the sunshine of Chinese football in Qidong.