Pilot zones designated to reform soccer

Programs aim to help China cultivate talent, integrate sports and education

School soccer programs should be reformed in pilot zones to foster more talent and promote the development of group sports, experts said.

Eight regions in China have been designated as the first batch of comprehensive reform pilot zones for promoting soccer among youth on campuses, according to the Ministry of Education.

The pilot zones are in Dalian in Liaoning province; Zhengzhou in Henan province; Jinan in Shandong province; Chengdu in Sichuan province; Bijie in Guizhou province; Wuwei in Gansu province; Ganzhou in Jiangxi province; and Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture in Jilin province.