Last year, Pategou Kamgang Francis, a 31-year-old football coach from Cameroon, won the jury's hearts in a short video competition. A short film about his work and life in China won the grand prize in the Second ChinAfrica Short Video Competition.

As Xie Jinyu, director of the winning video and a student researcher at Zhejiang Normal University, summed up, Francis' love for football led him to return to the game and become involved in youth football education. "His determination to spread the culture of football among Chinese youth deserves to be honored."

Passion for football

"I owe everything to football. It is my best companion," stresses Francis. Football entered his life at the age of 3, thanks to his father, a football coach in Cameroon. His brother is a professional football player in Europe. Although the young man never lacked talent, luck was not always on his side. In middle school, a severe injury prevented him from pursuing his dream to be a professional player.

In 2012, he accompanied his father to China on a business trip, where he discovered Yiwu, Jinhua City in east China's Zhejiang Province, known as the world's largest small goods market. A year later, he came to China again to pursue a bachelor's degree in international business at Zhejiang Normal University, based in Jinhua.

But his love of football never faded. In his spare time on campus, he played football again to keep himself in optimal shape.

Soon after, his talent was discovered by the head of a youth football training center, who hired him as a coach as soon as he graduated in 2018. While this job offer didn't fit with his academic major in university, it allowed him to make a living from his passion. "I want to do what I enjoy," he explained.

Career pursuit

Nevertheless, things were not always easy for Francis, the first foreign coach hired by this club training about 100 children aged 5 to 13. Communicating with the children in Chinese proved to be a challenge, especially in the beginning. Although he understands everyday language, he had difficulty learning the technical jargon of football in Chinese. However, instead of giving up or hiring an interpreter, Francis seized every opportunity to progress and can now easily communicate with the young players he trains.

Another source of anxiety was the distrust among some parents of his professional abilities. Francis, who believes that actions speak louder than words, tried his best to explain to the parents that he was not a "magician" and his pedagogy reflected the "seriousness" of his work.

His dedication allowed his teams to win several trophies in local and national youth football tournaments. As a result, he became popular among children and their parents, and his reputation is now well established. His goal is to take his young players and his club to the next level by winning more and more competitions in the long term.

However, he regrets that the culture of football is not more deeply rooted in China. "Here, in most cases, it is the parents who push their children to play football, while in Cameroon, it is the children who ask to play football. Although he cannot change the situation overnight, he hopes that his commitment will gradually pay off.

His efforts are bearing fruit. Over the three years since he joined the club, hardly any child has left his fold. "This is quite rare in a children's football club," said Huang Zhijun, a parent of a student in the club. Huang's 9-year-old son is in one of the teams coached by Francis. For Huang, the stability of a team is a testament to the excellence of a coach and his close bond with the students. "Off the field, we get along very well. Francis throws birthday parties for each child. He often invites us to his house to experience Cameroonian cuisine. It's nice of him," he said.

Community life

Having been living in Jinhua for eight years, Francis now sees the city as his second home and plans to bring his family here. "I prefer Jinhua to the big cities in China. The people here are welcoming and friendly. Many of my neighbors helped me at the height of the COVID-19 epidemic. The solidarity and generosity they have shown and continue to show have touched me greatly."

His ability to adapt to new environment has allowed him to integrate well into the local community and make many friends.

A regular customer at a local greengrocer's, he shops there and chats with the saleswoman as old friends do. When he learned that her mother was injured, he was quick to sympathize with her. The scene was recorded in the winning video about Francis. For its director, it was this moment of togetherness that stuck in his mind the most.

Xu Wei, the video's producer, who is also deputy director of the Africa Research Institute of Zhejiang Normal University, said at the competition's award ceremony that this short video is neither the first nor the last to present a story about China-Africa friendly relationship. It is such close exchanges of people that keep the bonds of friendship stronger. CA

(Print Edition Title: A Good Grounding)

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