Themed "Happy Football, Flying Dreams", the teenagers campus football campaign was launched in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's 12 leagues and cities on March 1. The public welfare activity marks that the football course will be officially included as a compulsory part of PE classes for schools in Inner Mongolia.

A primary student in Hohhot plays football at the Inner Mongolia teenagers campus football campaign on March 1.[Photo/Xinhua]

Inner Mongolia was decided as a pilot region for China's football reform and development last September. In the following months, a leading group to push forward football reform and development and a leading group for campus football works were established in Inner Mongolia. Also, a reform and development plan as well as a three-year plan was made to promote campus football development.

A kindergarten in Hohhot carries out a football activity to echo the Inner Mongolia teenagers campus football campaign.[Photo/Xinhua]

The teenager campus football initiative has five parts, including promotion of football knowledge and culture, "Headmaster Cup" campus football league matches and Hope Project football activities.

During the campaign, the Inner Mongolia Youth Development Foundation set up a public welfare football fund, which mainly focuses on football-related issues in the region's poverty-stricken areas, to denote footballs, sponsor football teams and build football grounds for primary and middles schools.

Girl players enjoy a game during the Inner Mongolia teenagers campus football campaign.[Photo/Xinhua]

There are two national football training bases being built in Inner Mongolia after it was selected as a national pilot region for football reform in 2014. A total of nearly 2 billion yuan ($319.8 million) will be invested in the construction of the two bases.

Edited by Michael Thai