Soccer cages ignite passion, fun in north China city
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E-mail Xinhua, November 21, 2017
Passing the soccer ball to the 5-year-old boy and encouraging him to shoot at the goal, Wang Bo played soccer with his son every other afternoon on a caged field at Chilechuan Park in Hohhot, capital of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
"Soccer cages are popular among fans," Wang said. "The cages are set up near residential areas and are safe and convenient for players."
Inner Mongolia launched a strategic plan to develop soccer in 2015, the first provincial-level pilot program on China's soccer reform blueprint.
Due to the increasing governmental investment in soccer facilities, nearly 500 soccer cages have been built up in the autonomous region's capital city over the past two years.
Each cage covers an area of 800 square meters or smaller, an appropriate place for five-a-side matches or smaller-scale games.
"The cages made up for the shortfall of the city's soccer fields," said Liu Yong, director of Hohhot Soccer Sports Center, adding that the portable cages were built in parks, on squares and in the areas where garbage collection stations had been demolished.
"Under the management of the local government, all the soccer cages are free of charge during the daytime," Liu said. "In the evenings, we charge 25 yuan (about 3.77 US dollars) per hour in a five-a-side soccer cage to pay for electric and other costs," he added.
Besides individual soccer fans, local amateur clubs often competed on the caged fields.
"Our members usually spare weekends to play with teammates here and it has already been part of our life," said Shi Feng, member of the Hohhot Kicker Club.
Founded more than two years ago, the club is composed of local soccer fans with an average age of nearly 40.
"The smaller enclosure enables us to develop our soccer skills, to improve our close ball control and to shoot with greater accuracy," Shi added.
As soccer fields are still in high demand in the city, the local government plans to build 500 more soccer cages in next few years, according to local sports officials.
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