TAIYUAN, China, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- As soon as the whistle blew at 7 pm, an open football field located in the provincial fitness center in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi province, became bustling again.

With the players running on the field, it was hard to imagine the outdoor temperature had dropped to nearly -10 degrees Celsius.

"It's colder than usual this winter, but people have never stopped coming to play," said Ren Bing, the game's organizer and referee.

The participants are all members of a WeChat group Ren formed three years ago, whose numbers have since swelled to 500.

A sudden whistle interrupted Ren's introduction as someone had fallen to the ground. Ren hurried over and yelled, "Let's be careful!" After checking on the injured player, he returned to the sidelines, murmuring "Safety first".

Following a few minutes' warm-up, the match became more serious and intense. Watching on the sidelines, a substitute player couldn't help but sigh, "Now that the epidemic has begun to recur in some places again, I'm afraid we won't have many chances to play like this in the near future."

For the past year, COVID-19 has raged across the world. Although the Chinese government has taken strict and effective measures to contain the virus, many people experienced communities close-off, factories were shut down and sports fixtures were suspended at one point.

With the epidemic largely under control in China by mid-2020, people gradually returned to their normal lives.

However, with the onset of winter and colder weather, the epidemic has begun to rebound in some areas in China, forcing measures to tighten and people to remain alert.

The players were fully aware of this situation. On the court, they seemed to be more dedicated and excited than before, cherishing every minute on the field.

Participants in the game were mainly grown-ups, but among the many tall figures, a skillful child caught everyone's attention. 12-year-old Fan Gaozhen has had several years of professional training and now studies at the prestigious Shandong Luneng Taishan Football School.

Fan's eyes light up when he talks about football. "My dream is to become a professional player, then join the national team," he gushed about his dream with excitement, rubbing his hands.

The game continued even as the night grew darker and the temperature dropped still lower.

"Everyone wants to stay at home during this weather, but when you think of a group of friends who share the same interest, you might as well come over," said Li Xiangnan, a middle-aged player.

The severe cold has kept many sports lovers at home, but not the true fans. The players all believed that despite epidemic prevention and control measures, people should come out and exercise as much as possible so as to strengthen their immunity.

"For those worried about the cold weather and the safety of playing outside, I wish there could be more indoor exercise spaces, so that people's exercise passion won't be stopped by any weather. That's one way to fight against the virus, I believe," Ren said. Enditem

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