Kaysar Tayir, who works for a rural credit cooperative, still remembers the "field" he played on 20 years ago. It was a dusty road, with two tree branches placed at its ends, denoting the goalposts. Today, the Yuepuhu County Sports Activity Center that has taken the place of that dusty road is an arena capable of holding over 15,000 spectators, and with its turf meeting FIFA standards—it seems like a world away.

"During the day, we're all busy with our own work. But every night at eight, we meet for training," 41-year-old Kaysar told People's Daily. This grassroots team has been together for over a decade.

They make a 40-km round trip each day to train together. Ahat Sidik, a farmer, explained that unity is the team's soul: "When we are in the field, we are together. If we don't see ourselves as pearls on a single string, our team will have no cohesion, and we won't perform well."

Life is busy and filled with daily demands. In September, the air in Xinjiang is redolent with the fragrance of ripe melons and other fruits. It is also fruit farmer Rahman Ubli's busiest season. To balance making a living and training, he and his family get up an hour earlier each day to pick the fruit in their orchard.

Ahat, a cotton farmer, anxiously awaits the competition notice while picking cotton during harvest. And Ubli Axim, who had a thriving samsa shop making the traditional samsa buns, flaky savouries stuffed with meat or other fillings, has switched to selling spicy gluten snacks instead, which do not take so much time to cook, to make time for training.

"I am a farmer. My life is simple. Although I'm tired after the day's farm work, the moment I step into the field, that feeling of exhaustion vanishes," Sidik said. Ubli echoed him: "I'm not a professional athlete. I'm a businessman, a baker. But on the pitch, I am an athlete."

In this county with a population of 170,000, these people from all walks of life are tightly bound together by football.

From local to international 

Living in a place that has snowy peaks over 8,000 meters high and a basin at 1,000 meters—a steep vertical drop—the people of Kashi are accustomed to looking up: looking up at the mountains, and their dreams. Today, football has redefined the dreams of Yuepuhu's residents.

The popularity of football in Yuepuhu is astounding. Among the county's adult population, over 2,000 grassroots enthusiasts regularly participate in the sport year-round, and all primary and secondary schools play the game. Every afternoon, the school playgrounds are filled with youngsters playing football. The football fan base is even larger, ranging from young children to elders in their 70s and 80s.

"If you want to play, you won't lack a pitch here!" Kaysar said. Yuepuhu now boasts eight standard football fields and over 70 smaller pitches, all open to the public for free. Amateur football competitions at all levels—village, township, county, prefecture, autonomous region and even nationa—are held throughout the year.

In 2023, Yuepuhu was the champion in Xinjiang's Rural Futsal Super League, an achievement celebrated with a grand motorcade parade. Last year, the Yuepuhu team secured third place in futsal at the first National Fitness Games.

This June, the second Kashi Cup International Youth Football Invitational Tournament kicked off in Yuepuhu, shining an international spotlight on the county. Twelve under-16 football teams from Russia and the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gathered here, as well as domestic youth teams from Chinese Super League giants like Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua. "Hosting an international tournament in a small county requires significant national support," Zhang Fujun, the event director, told People's Daily.

Yuepuhu is strategically located at the core of Kashi's half-hour economic circle, an urban planning and regional development concept denoting a geographic area where residents can reach a central hub (like a city center) within half an hour by train. Investment in its sports facilities has increased significantly in recent years.

The Yuepuhu County Sports Activity Center is the largest outdoor comprehensive stadium in south Xinjiang. It was built with the assistance of Shandong Province in the east as part of the pairing assistance drive where developed regions help the less developed ones.

Abdulla Iminjan, a 16-year-old from Kashi, scored a magnificent goal in this year's Kashi Cup. "Playing in a major tournament right on my doorstep! I wouldn't have even dreamed of it in the past!" he said. This international event has ignited a spark in the hearts of the county's children.

An unstoppable dream 

The National Fitness Games held last October is the highest-level competition the Yuepuhu team has ever participated in. When they entered the semifinal round in which they won the third place, there was a last-minute change and Ubli was made captain of the team. Though driven by an urge to score goals and prove himself, he found the team faltering. They lost their first two matches, which meant the third was a do-or-die battle. Only a win would keep them in the tournament.

At this critical moment, Ubli dropped his focus on personal performance, instead concentrating on improving the teamwork. The changed strategy worked, leading the team to defeat the strongest opponent in the group, the team from central Henan Province. In the match for third place, they triumphed over Qiongshan, the team from southernmost Hainan Province.

When the final whistle blew, the Yuepuhu team—having battled their way through many teams over six months—finally secured the third-place trophy.

Behind the victory lay silent solidarity and perseverance. Ahat, though injured and unable to play, insisted on traveling with the team, "even if it was just to sit on the bench." Ubli wanted to show his two sons through his goals that striving is worthwhile, and proved he was worthy of the captain's armband.

The true value of football lies not only in winning but in the heady sense of adrenlin pumping through the body and passion that is unextinguishable. This passion has been the lifeblood of Xinjiang football.

Kashi is a fertile ground for Chinese football. This year has witnessed a record-breaking presence of Kashi-born players across China's professional football leagues. Currently, 44 athletes from the city are competing for professional clubs spanning all three tiers—the Chinese Super League, China League One and China League Two. These professional players offer powerful inspirations, motivating more children across Kashi to pursue their football dreams.

Twenty-one-year-old Umit Hassan, son of a famed local footballer, trained professionally to earn his coaching license. He is now secretary general of the newly established Yuepuhu County Football Association. "This year, we'll launch county leagues and coach training, helping more players realize their dreams," he said.

Turahun Abdurahman, Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Football Association, described the ultimate goal: to bring every football lover on the pitch. "Life today is as sweet as Turpan's grapes and Hami's honeydew. Who wouldn't want fitness and joy?"

From dusty makeshift pitches to national arenas, from sweat-soaked fields to international tournaments, football is giving these ordinary people living at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains undying dreams and the resilience to realize them. Every goal reflects Xinjiang's indomitable spirit.

(Print Edition Title: Grassroots Goal) 

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