First edition of Sichuan City Football League kicks off this month

The first edition of the Sichuan City Football League, dubbed "Sichuan Super League" or "Chuanchao", will be launched on Sept 20, organizers announced on Friday.

The amateur tournament, which will last until July, is sponsored by the Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau, the Sichuan Sports Federation, and the governments of 21 cities across the province.

Twenty-one soccer teams — each representing one of Sichuan's 21 cities — will compete in 28 rounds of 162 matches throughout the event, Chen Xingdong, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau, said at a news conference in Chengdu, the Sichuan capital.

"The teams are open to soccer enthusiasts aged 18 to 45, with a clear rule that professional athletes registered with the Chinese Football Association are not allowed to sign up," Chen noted.

The group stage is scheduled to run from September to December, while the finals will take place from March to June. After the finals, a united team composed of players from the other 20 teams will face the champion in a grand showdown, he said.

Chen added that the tournament will be integrated with local cultural, tourism, and business activities, turning the spectator flow into economic growth momentum.

The league's official logo, mascot, trophies, medals, and promotional song were also unveiled at the news conference.

Yang Miao, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Sports Bureau, said logo design incorporates Sichuan's unique regional culture, intangible cultural heritage, culinary traditions, and distinct characteristics of each division.

He said the logo integrates elements including soccer, giant panda, the Chinese character "chuan", chili peppers, Sichuan opera face-changing, and flames.

"We hope that the league's culture will not be confined to the stadiums but integrated into broader life scenarios, igniting public enthusiasm across the province and even the whole country, and creating a vibrant football carnival filled with passion and excitement," Yang said.