(250626) -- HUAI'AN CITY, June 26, 2025 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 Jiangsu Football City League, dubbed with "Su Super League," -- made up of 13 city teams competing in the east China's Jiangsu province -- has become the most igniting sporting phenomenon in the country this summer. With no big name players and coaches, an amateur football league has captured the nation's imagination largely through the fierce passion from local participants and fans. According to the statistics, only 29 out of the 516 players were professional, while the rest are amateurs from various industries.

Dai Hu, 39-year-old, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) branch of Hanchen Village of Lianshui County in Huai'an City, east China's Jiangsu Province and also a football fullback of Huai'an Team, made his debut at home as a substitute in the final minutes of the match in the fourth round of the "Su Super" league.

During the busy farming season, Dai Hu is often seen in the fields of Hanchen Village, where he organizes villagers for crop harvesting and planting, oversees the ban on straw burning, and ensures the maintenance of irrigation ditches. Since the commencement of the "Su Super" league, Dai Hu has experienced a more demanding work life.

Dai Hu, who began playing football in 2001, is a prominent player in Huai'an's amateur football field and successfully made it onto the "Su Super" Huai'an team's roster. However, due to a thigh muscle injury, he has not had the opportunity to play in the first three matches of the city league. Nevertheless, as a senior member of the team, he remains actively involved, taking on a leadership role. On the training field, he patiently guides younger players in their training and uses his extensive experience in the locker room to help his teammates manage their psychological state.

He plans to bring the passion and vitality of football back to the village, encouraging young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. He hopes that, inspired by the "Su Super" league, more children will put down their phones, engage with football, and participate in outdoor activities to foster a sense of teamwork. Dai Hu (1st R) warms up with children before a football training session in Hanchen Village of Lianshui County in Huai'an City, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 22, 2025. (Xinhua)