STORY: Meet "Cun Chao," China's village football tournament, in Hong Kong
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 9-11, 2023, Earlier footage
DATELINE: Nov. 13, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:09
LOCATION: HONG KONG, China
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the football game of Hong Kong celebrity football team and the "village super league" team at the Hong Kong Stadium
2. various of the "village super league" team playing football in Guizhou (File)
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DONG YONGHENG, Player of the village super league team
4. various of the "village super league" team playing football in Guizhou (File)
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): NATALIS CHAN, Player of the Hong Kong celebrity football team
6. various of the "village super league" team arriving in Hong Kong
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): PENG XIXI, Honorary vice chairman of the football association of Rongjiang County
8. various of the football game of Hong Kong celebrity football team and the "village super league" team at the Hong Kong Stadium

STORYLINE:

"Cun Chao," or the "village super league" has stepped out of the mountainous villages in the southwestern province of Guizhou and made a splash in one of the country's most international cities -- Hong Kong.

On Saturday, in a face-off at the Hong Kong Stadium, the star-studded Hong Kong celebrity football team beat the village super league team 3-1.

Comprising renowned actors, singers and entertainment stars, the Hong Kong celebrity team on its own drew many fans. The village super league team, coming all the way from Rongjiang County in Guizhou, brought even more followers, many dressed in colorful clothes of different ethnic groups.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DONG YONGHENG, Player of the village super league team
"It is a historic breakthrough in our hearts that the grassroots football can come to this international metropolis."

Unlike more official games, such as the Chinese Super League, Cun Chao has a more down-to-earth style, with players coming from a variety of backgrounds. On the playfield, they are the stars that the audience cheer for, but in their lives, they are vendors, drivers, students, and even butchers.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): NATALIS CHAN, Player of the Hong Kong celebrity football team
"I watched the Cun Chao a few months ago, and they were so popular. It is the kind of games played by the civilian players, which I watched when I was a kid. Grandmas, kids, so many people are watching the games, so it drew my attention."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): PENG XIXI, Honorary vice chairman of the football association of Rongjiang County
"Next step for Cun Chao is to make a better connection with the world. We will try to better tell the stories of our hometown and Chinese culture to more people around the world."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong, China.
(XHTV)