Guangxi Hengchen Writes a New Chapter, Adding Another Honor to the Guizhou Super League

Reported by Wang Wei and intern Cao Si On the Chinese football map, Guangxi, which was once not in the spotlight, is now emerging quietly as a benchmark for grassroots football growth. This year, Guangxi Hengchen Football Club won the China League Two championship with an impressive record of 23 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses, accumulating 73 points, and successfully earned promotion to China League One, creating its own legend. Meanwhile, the Guangxi Guizhou Super League, as a cradle of grassroots football, has produced several teams that have entered China League One and even the Chinese Super League over the years. The reasons behind its success are worth exploring. At the close of this year’s China League Two season, Jia Leishi, General Manager of Guangxi Hengchen Club, shared with our newspaper the story behind the growth of Hengchen Club and the Guizhou Super League.

Guangxi Hengchen’s success is no coincidence but the result of a clear division of responsibilities within the club and a united team spirit. General Manager Jia Leishi believes that “only championship-level service and management can achieve championship results,” a philosophy thoroughly implemented inside the club. The investors oversee the club’s overall situation but give the head coach full trust and support regarding training and matches, never interfering with the coaching staff’s decisions. This “boundary-aware” management approach allows the coaching team to focus on tactics and player selections, fully utilizing their professional expertise.

“We grant the coaching staff absolute authority—from selecting players to devising tactics and deciding lineups. This trust and support help the team maintain strong cohesion and execution during matches,” said Jia Leishi.

Before every home game, the club owner dines with the team—not to report or instruct, but simply to chat and let players feel the care from both the investors and coaching staff. “It’s more about easing burdens and not putting too much pressure on the players.” Additionally, the club actively assists players with any difficulties they face, fostering a stronger sense of belonging so they can perform freely on the field. It can be said that the club’s championship-level service and management laid the foundation for Guangxi Hengchen’s China League Two title.

This season, Guangxi Hengchen faced many challenges, especially early on when a suspension of key players due to the Western Cup penalty brought criticism and a decline in strength. In response, the club quickly aligned its mindset by limiting players’ media interviews to keep their focus on matches and preparation. “We told the players that the situation has happened and we must face it together,” Jia recalled, “It’s not the end of the world; we need to concentrate more on the games and overcome this difficulty.” This focus and unity enabled Guangxi Hengchen to rise swiftly from adversity. Starting in July, the team achieved a seven-game winning streak without conceding a goal, securing promotion with five rounds to spare and ultimately winning the league championship.

Jia Leishi told reporters that the August 24 away match against Nantong Haimen Codion best demonstrated Guangxi Hengchen’s resilience and champion spirit. In that game, Guangxi Hengchen once led 3-1, but the opponent pulled one back and then accidentally scored an own goal in stoppage time, leveling the score at 3-3. “Just when everyone thought the match would end in a draw, our players never gave up. They pressed forward in stoppage time, and captain Yuan Xiucheng scored the winning goal, sealing a 4-3 victory.” This hard-fought win strengthened the entire team’s determination to secure promotion.

As a modest team without star signings, Guangxi Hengchen relies on excellent tactical execution and teamwork to achieve repeated successes on the pitch. The coaching staff prioritizes players’ tactical compatibility and execution ability during selection, a team-building philosophy that maximizes performance despite limited resources. Throughout the season, players often switch between starting and substitute roles, and the coaches hold talks with those players to ease concerns. “We want players to understand that being a starter or substitute is temporary; as long as you work hard, you will get your chance to play.”

Moreover, Guangxi Hengchen enforces detailed discipline in training, daily life, and matches. For example, even a slight tardiness results in fines. “Strict discipline is essential for winning and helps every player clearly understand their responsibilities and behavioral standards,” said Jia Leishi. This institutionalized management greatly enhanced the team’s competitiveness and ultimately helped them achieve promotion.

Guangxi Hengchen’s championship win in this year’s China League Two has made history for professional football in Guangxi and brought the Guizhou Super League into the national spotlight once again. Guangxi Hengchen is another team promoted from the Guizhou Super League to a higher-level professional league in China.

Since its establishment in 2011, the Guangxi Guizhou Super League has completed 15 seasons. Jia Leishi, General Manager of Guangxi Hengchen, also serves as the current Secretary-General of the Guizhou Super League and is one of its founders. He has deep insights and plans for the league’s development. “We have always believed that football history is written by clubs, so we focus on building high-quality clubs to make them the core of the league,” Jia said. To achieve this, the Guizhou Super League adopts an alliance-based management model. “The alliance means that club owners or investors have the league’s voice, decision-making, organizational, and commercial rights. All rules are set by the club owners, and we are responsible for implementation.” Giving club owners full rights and voting power is fundamental to the league’s operation. “Clubs are the heart of the competition, and this model motivates them to develop their teams actively,” Jia explained.

“On one hand, as long as clubs have motivation, they will gradually grow and transform from amateur to professional; on the other hand, clubs will drive youth training to nurture young players for themselves and for Guangxi football.” Jia proudly mentioned, “The Guizhou Super League has been running for 15 years, and now youth players trained by Guizhou Super League clubs are appearing in the league.” This represents the league’s comprehensive development model, which has been tested and proven in football-advanced countries and aligns with football’s growth principles.

The Guizhou Super League not only provides a platform for amateur teams to showcase themselves but also creates a promotion pathway from grassroots to professional levels. Over the years, the league has produced several professional teams, such as Nantong Zhiyun (formerly Guangxi Longguidai), Guangxi Pingguo, and Guangxi Blue Aviation.

“The Guizhou Super League has attracted investments totaling 220 million yuan over the past 15 years,” Jia said. “Club owners invest confidently because they have assessed the platform and believe it is trustworthy. I think this is the most critical and fundamental reason for the league’s development.” Conversely, the league’s organizational capacity allows clubs to see the possibility of moving from grassroots to professional levels. “A good league guides clubs on managing accommodation, travel, publicity, and more. Many teams have gained experience through the Guizhou Super League and gradually meet the strength and conditions required to advance to professional leagues.”

From Jia Leishi’s perspective, the league’s sustained growth and the emergence of professional teams are also due to its unique cultural philosophy. “Our Guizhou Super League centers on eight words: respect, teamwork, courage, and responsibility. These values run through our event organization and team management.”

“Respect” forms the foundation of football culture. In the Guizhou Super League, players, coaches, referees, and fans all respect one another and abide by the rules. The league’s atmosphere is very positive, with few online accusations or insults directed at referees or players. “We believe respect is the basic culture of football, especially respect for opponents, referees, and fans,” Jia said. “The rules of the Guizhou Super League are agreed upon by everyone; all must follow and respect them.”

As for “teamwork,” it does not refer to a single club but the entire league. Jia stated, “All our clubs are one combined team. The Guizhou Super League matches are presented together by all of us. We work collectively to make this league successful, and the league’s success equals our own success.”

During the interview, Jia Leishi repeatedly emphasized that the Guizhou Super League’s development relies heavily on support from the government and society. “The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Sports Bureau, Guangxi Football Association, and other organizations have continuously provided us with great support and assistance. The involvement of social forces also enriches our league.”

With joint efforts from the government and social sectors, the Guizhou Super League has gradually formed a stable operating model and a positive development trend. “We are not rushing success but steadily advancing the league’s progress,” Jia said. “We believe only by acting within our means can we go further.”