Guillermo Benavides |
Beijing, (EFE).- Soccer has gone viral in China in recent weeks thanks to videos and photos that have aroused the interest of many fans in the Asian giant for the Super League, but not for the professional one (CSL), but another starring athletes from ethnic minorities in rural areas of the country.
The phenomenon is not exclusive to the king of sports, but it has shown how the passion for something in its simplest essence far exceeds, whether on social networks or even in person, an organization with million-dollar budgets.
It is also a new example of the population’s weariness in the face of corruption that permeates many of China’s football organizations.
multi-ethnic soccer
Because the decline of professional soccer in China has heightened interest in its amateur counterpart, particularly in Rongjiang county in the southern province of Guizhou.
That’s where the ‘cunchao’, or Village Super League (VSL), is played, with 20 teams made up of players between the ages of 15 and 40 from different professional backgrounds representing various ethnic groups.
Since its inception on May 13, the competition has exceeded 500,000 viewers, with an average per game exceeding 10,000 people, comparable to the CSL.
The matches, which take place every week between Friday and Sunday, attract people looking to travel on a limited budget, and have triggered ticket purchases and hotel reservations, which grew 143.3% year-on-year according to the Meituan platform.
This has allowed it to generate more than 130 million yuan (18 million dollars, 16 million euros) in revenue while boosting tourism and the consumption of local specialties during match days.
viral hit
Although the true success of this competition lies in the virality of its content within the social networks of the Asian giant.
On Weibo -similar to Twitter, censored in China-, hashtags and topics related to the VSL add up to more than 200 million views and the league’s videos garner millions of ‘likes’ on platforms such as Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
Such is the success on the Internet that even the former English footballer and Ballon d’Or winner in 2001, Michael Owen, recorded a video supporting the tournament and congratulating the participants on their success.
But this phenomenon is not only alive from football, since basketball, much more popular in China, also has its share of prominence in this boom in sport in rural areas.
The ‘cunBA’, or Village Basketball Association (VBA), achieved a capacity of 20,000 spectators in the clashes and 30 million people followed the matches online.
future project
This success has made it possible to invest in rural revitalization, one of the cornerstones of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans, after proclaiming the end of extreme poverty in the country in 2021.
The Chinese government recently published an initiative to establish more than 100 rural sporting events by 2035, with the aim of promoting these activities in the area.
Although China’s passion for the sport of basket has contributed to the success of this initiative, the participation of two-thirds of the town’s residents is even more important in illustrating the fame that the VSL has acquired.
The players, referees and cheerleading groups are locals from the village, while the performances are based on ethnic dances and songs and the prizes for the winners are mainly agricultural products.
However, although the active participation of the townspeople is sought, the popularity of the project has sparked a debate about the preservation of rural characteristics and the non-commercialization of the event in the future.
Proponents of this initiative argue that in the face of Chinese soccer’s image, which faces challenges related to commodification and corruption that has prosecuted several top officials in recent years, the Village Super League represents the pure and joyful side of the sport.
“The ‘cunchao’ stands out for its authenticity and focus on the passion for soccer, far from the commercialization of the sport in urban areas,” highlighted a follower on Weibo with a comment supported by thousands of users.
Some fans who will surely be watching the social networks on July 29 when the Villages proclaim their new champion.