China's Presence in 2018 World Cup: Chinese teenagers selected as FIFA flag bearers

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01:54

Among all the Chinese elements in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, six Chinese teenagers caught the attention of many during the opening ceremony. They were selected to help escort the FIFA flag to the Luzhniki Stadium. CGTN's ZHENG CHUNYING has the story.

A first in World Cup history. Six Chinese teenagers were selected as the flag bearers escorting the FIFA flag to the Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday. The three boys and three girls were all from Danzhai Wanda village, in Southwest China's Guizhou province. They are the products of a long selection process.

YANG CHANGSHENG FLAG BEARER "Personally, I was very excited as this is such a precious chance. Our national team failed to make the World Cup, but I am coming. Who wouldn't be excited if you got the chance?"

Besides feeling blessed to get involved, they are also inspired by the experience.

CHEN YUJIA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE "Our boys and girls love football but they don't understand the sport well. Since they arrived, their interest in football has grown. Some of them even want to join the game. Their skills may not be good enough but they are really passionate and eager to learn."

And this lucky group is just a small part of the flag bearers recruitment program by China's Wanda Group.

As the tournament's top sponsor in China, Wanda was responsible for recruiting 384 teenagers from around the world aged 12 to 17 to act as FIFA flag bearers for this year's tournament.

Apart from Wanda, FIFA also has three other second tier sponsors – namely electronic appliance maker Hisense, mobile phone producer Vivo, and dairy and ice cream giant Mengniu.

The Chinese team may not have been good enough to qualify this year. But China is making sure its presence is felt during the world's largest sporting event. ZHENG CHUNYING, CGTN.