The first event of the Sino-U.K. School Football will be formally launched in the U.K.  from Aug 19 to Aug 29, 2006, which will lay a solid foundation for the future youth football exchange and development.

The "Sino-U.K. School Football", a long-term agreement between the Dr. Sun Yi Xian's Youth Foundation, and the China international Sports Exchange Center approved by the State Sport General Administration of the People's Republic of China was signed on Sept 29, 2005. A long time license to Dr. Sun Yi Xian's Youth Foundation to organize the Sino-U.K. School Football Project with ESFA was also issued.

A Chinese youth football team, led by Mr. Li Xin, Director of China lnternational Sports Exchange Center and Mr. William Ma, Representative of Dr. Sun Yi Xian's Youth Foundation will leave Beiiinq on Aug 19 to visit the U.K. and participate in the first U18 Sino-UK school football program which is organized by Dr. Sun Yi Xian's Youth Foundation.

The Chinese football team consists of 17 under 18 year-old players, four coaches and four officials. During their visit, they will play games, learn from the English players and exchange football experience. The Chinese football team will visit different cities and famous football clubs, youth department and different football departments in sports institutes.
They will learn British advanced football teaching theory and teaching methods in cultivating young football player, and learn how to build football industry and how to develop global football industry markets. This will greatly help to spread traditional British football culture and help to popularize and promote China's idea of "cultivating football players from youngsters" and long-term football education, which will also greatly help to meet the new tendency of China's sports reform and global market cooperation.

The related sports communities and enterprises in the B.K. have highly valued the "Sino-U.K. School Football Project". The "Sino-U.K. School Football Project" will be advantageous to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, to the 2012 London Olympic Games, and to the sports and cultural exchanges between China and the U.K. The "Sino-U.K. School Football Project" will also promote the understanding and exchanges between the next generations of the two countries and promote world-wide economic, cultural and sports exchanges.

Rt. Hon Richard Cabom (MP), Sports Minister of U.K., Mr. R. Berridge, Chairman of the English Football Development Committee and Vice President of the Football Association, Mr. Brian Banarick, Chief Executive of the Football Association, Mr. Nigel Brown, Chairman of English Schools ootball Association, Mr. Nelson Cheng, Chief Executive of Dr. Sun Yi Xian's Youth Foundation and Sir T. Brooking, Technical Director of The Football Association have sent their congratulations and some of them will participate in the first Sino-U.K. school football Project actlvities to be hetd in the U.K.

The main media in the U.K. and Europe have also attached importance to the significant games and will have a full-scale reporting of the events.

According to the Sino-U.K. School Football Project agreement, a British U18 school football team will pay a return visit to Beijing or Shanghai in April and May 2007.

source: People's Daily Online - Sino-UK School Football Project to be launched in Britain