Chinese and African primary and secondary school students compete on the pitch at Beijing No. 8 High School on 23 September

The Third Belt and Road Friendship Football Match between African Embassies and Beijing Schools and China-Africa Sports and Education Forum was held at Beijing No.8 High School, to coincide with the start of the Asian Games in Hangzhou on 23 September. 

The goal of the event, which attracted more than 100 participants, was to encourage cordial Sino-African contacts while promoting collaboration in school sports between China and African nations as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. 

The experiences are the same whether it’s football or another sport. Appreciation and elation are pervasive, creating enduring friendships between athletes and fans that are strengthened by values like solidarity, integrity, and equality. 

The participants all agreed on the value of sport as a tool for education and social cohesiveness. “Sport is the greatest unifying instrument of every nation. When our national teams compete around the world, we all unite behind them and raise our national flags and sing anthems,” Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, South Africa’s ambassador to China, said during the event. 

The United Team of African Diplomats and Nationals in China (Dream Team) and the United Team of Beijing Primary and Secondary School Teachers play a friendly match in Beijing on 23 September 

Uniting power of sport 

Aminata Koita, ambassador of Guinea to China, noted that since Guinea got independence in 1958, sport has played a significant role in defining its culture. At several international events, “we have had great teams that have made Africa proud,” Koita told ChinAfrica. “Sport has a part in our school curriculum, because, to us, it is a symbol of resilience and respect for one another,” she said. 

She added that sports have developed into a fantastic tool for fostering cross-cultural connections. “Players from two nations form a family when they come together on the pitch. You’ll watch the victorious squad congratulating their rivals,” she said. Therefore, “sport serves as a catalyst for learning, connection, and performance between China and Africa. It serves as a technique for fostering interactivity.”  

The Third Belt and Road Friendship Football Match Between African Embassies and Beijing Schools and China-Africa Sports and Education Forum is held at Beijing No. 8 High School on 23 September 

Athletics at school  

Forum participants said China and African nations should increase sports exchanges in schools. According to Wang Shi, president of the Beijing School Sports Federation, “strengthening sports exchanges will allow teenagers to get closer to each other, which will contribute to the development of Sino-African relations.” 

Gong Yemin, former education consul of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago, US, echoed the view and provided an outline of sports development in China. He asserted that despite the country’s prowess in a variety of competitive sports, like table tennis, gymnastics, and swimming, physical education is still lacking. There are still issues, such as the lack of physical exercise, obesity, and the rise in childhood myopia. “New policies such as the integration of sports and education, or the development of school football, are excellent initiatives to encourage sports exchanges between young Chinese and Africans,” he stated during the meeting. 

Zhao Chenguang, deputy director of the African Studies Centre at China Foreign Affairs University, emphasised the value of physical education as it fosters individual growth and contributes to the wellbeing of the community. “Inter-state sports exchanges, particularly at the basic education level, would have far-reaching implications,” he stated. He suggested institutionalising this cooperation within Sino-African elementary and secondary schools and more researches on the topic in order to increase cooperation. 

In a similar spirit, the South African envoy favoured encouraging sports at a young age in order to develop future winners. Cwele emphasised that school sports exchanges between South Africa and China would be beneficial for the two athletic nations, and extended an invitation to more Chinese students to travel to Africa. “China’s young people can only have a deeper understanding of us - who we are, where we come from, and where we are attempting to go - by spending time in our communities. They can form enduring bonds through playing together.” 

Chinese and African primary and secondary school students pose for a photo before their friendly match in Beijing on 23 September 

Seeds of bonding  

Two friendly football matches were scheduled after the forum to put words into action. The first match was between Chinese and African primary and secondary school students. The United Team of African Diplomats and Nationals in China (Dream Team) then played with the United Team of Beijing Primary and Secondary School Teachers. The African students and the Beijing teachers teams respectively won at the final whistles. 

These athletes had other goals in mind besides winning: The gathering helped to plant the seeds of friendship so that they may enjoy long-lasting benefits. Thus, Du Yunwei, a student at Beijing No. 8 High School, stated: “I’m quite delighted to participate in this football game. I’ve met a lot of African students. I want to have more opportunities to interact with them in the future.” 

Wang Jun, a teacher at Beijing No. 8 High School, sees the game as a chance to extend his horizons. “Through these activities, the African diplomats can familiarise themselves while practising football in Beijing’s primary and secondary schools, and at the same time, we can learn good football techniques and tactics from them,” he said. 

The Dream Team’s captain Kouakou Koffi Lambert stated: “Today’s event is a cultural gathering to combine our cultures, and to mix China and Africa. As friends, we’ve come here to have fun and get to know each another.” 

Economic Attache of the Guinean Embassy in Beijing Pascal Bavogui concurred: “It was a friendly match, one that will allow us to get closer and forge many more friendships with Chinese friends.” 

The Dream Team was established in 1996 and meets every Saturday for football practise on the outskirts of Beijing for the benefit of African nationals and diplomats living in China. According to Lambert, “Our diversity makes us a melting pot for exchanges. As part of our purpose, we also want to promote Sino-African cultural exchanges like this one.” 

Thanks to cooperation between the Beijing School Sports Federation and the Sports Exchange Research Centre of China Foreign Affairs University, the first and second editions of these friendship football matches were organised in 2018 and 2019.