Beijing's Mini World Cup: Diplomats bond through sportsmanship and 'the beautiful game'

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Foreign embassies and Chinese ministries in Beijing had a mini World Cup Saturday. One hundred and eighty football fans -- mostly diplomats from different nations -- participated in the third "Beijing International Club" Cup. CGTN's Sun Tianyuan has the story.

Beer, football and the summer sun -- that's one way to spend the weekend. Beijing's diplomat service bureau welcomed 12 teams to this year's international friendly tournament. Team Japan was here for its debut.

IIDA HIROBUMI TEAM JAPANESE EMBASSY "The vibe of the tournament is very enthusiastic. Thanks to the organizers for inviting us to this grand event. And we hope to participate in the games in the years to come."

The new players in town say they will give their best. But, for the French embassy who finished fourth last year giving their best is not enough. Like many, the blue army is here for the win.

TEAM FRENCH EMBASSY "We play every Tuesday. So we know each other. So, we are going to win today. Definitely. We are going to add the third star to the shirt."

SUN TIANYUAN BEIJING "Although the teams all seem quite serious about wining the championship, it's actually not just about competition. Organizers hope the games can boost mutual understanding -- though soccer and sportsmanship."

The Spanish, the two-time champions of the friendlies, failed to make it a hat-trick this year. But, the players say they had plenty of fun besides defending the title.

FERNANDO PEREZ TEAM SPANISH EMBASSY "Drinking while watching the games is also pleasing. We are from different nations, but on the field, we speak a universal language, and that is football."

JACK DAVIES, CAPTAIN TEAM BRITISH EMBASSY "It's a great opportunity for us to network, to get to know each other, to understand better about your culture, our culture, all through the shared passion of football."

The Venezuela embassy won the final by a sweeping three-to-one. While they celebrate their success, for the other teams, there's always food, beer and next year. Sun Tianyuan, CGTN, Beijing.