Budding Chinese soccer players train in Argentina

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Europe

02:20

Part of an exchange program between China and Argentina, Tong Feige, is part of a group of junior Chinese players sent to Argentina to train with Club Atletico.

On the pitch at Club Atletico Banfield in a suburb of Buenos Aires, his family and coaches hope that he will one day become a top professional soccer player.

He only started training at Banfield about a month ago, but Tong has already seen improvement in his skills. "The biggest difference here is the coach doesn't only teach you how to play soccer using my legs and my feet, they also teach me to use my mind and brain to win the match," Tong told CGTN.

He is one of the 28 young, promising players sent from China to Argentina, a nation with an unwavering passion for soccer. They have come from different parts of China, and share the same clear goal: to become a professional soccer player.

"Training abroad can help coaches and players study the most advanced concepts and techniques in football. Our goal here is to help young players improve their performance and skills as much as possible," said their coach Liang Bin.

This ongoing football program is part of the Chinese and Argentinian governments' efforts to boost cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Meanwhile, Hugo Donato, the head coach of youth football at Banfield, called their club is pioneering the work with Chinese soccer. "This is also significant for Argentinian football sector. We feel honored for sharing our experiences in football training."