China's state-level new area invites international coaches to teach soccer

Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province brought in international soccer coaches to train local physical education teachers and students at primary schools.

A coach from Football Club Internazionale Milano teaches soccer at Xiongxian No. 1 Primary School in Hebei Province, Jan. 29, 2018. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Two coaches from Football Club Internazionale Milano, a professional Italian soccer club based in Milan, came to Xiongxian county and Rongcheng county in Xiongan last week for a 10-day training program.

The move is to cultivate among youths an interest in playing soccer and to improve teachers' quality of coaching. It is also one part of a whole program.

Xiongan will carry out a three-year program, which started last year, to improve the new area's education quality, according to Chen Gang, Party chief of Xiongan.

One of the coaches from Football Club Internazionale Milano teaches soccer at Xiongxian No. 1 Primary School in Hebei Province, Jan. 29, 2018. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Established in April of 2017, Xiongan New Area covers Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in Hebei's Baoding.

The quality of education in the three counties needs to be improved due to its current poor educational infrastructure and less qualified teachers, Chen said.