Inner Mongolia’s teen football training base in South China’s Hainan province welcomed more than 500 players in 27 delegations.

Tan Jinfeng, head of Inner Mongolia Sport Bureau, hosts the football winter camp’s opening ceremony. [Photo/neimenggu.eol.cn]

Jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Education, the General Administration of Sport, Communist Young League, and Inner Mongolia government, the winter camp opened on World Football Day, Dec 9, attracting players from China, Brazil, Russia and Mongolia.

Teenage football players attend the opening ceremony on Dec 9. [Photo/neimenggu.eol.cn]

Inner Mongolia autonomous region is China’s first pilot region for football reform. The 80-mu (5.33 hectares) training base in Hainan has been in official operation since December and can accommodate 600 people at one time.

An opening game for the winter camp on Dec 9. [Photo/neimenggu.eol.cn]