This group of young wind chasers from Guizhou has made the Yokohama Mariners reflect deeply.

Reporter Wang Wei reports from Guiyang. This summer, a batch of U13 boys in Guizhou football is worth celebrating: they defeated the Yokohama Mariners U13 from Japan and also triumphed over the Shanghai Port U13 team! Such achievements have not only caused a stir in domestic youth football competitions but also generated a strong response within Japanese football training teams. They are the Guizhou Football Association U13 representative team (Guiyang No. 1 Middle School Li Duanfan Wind Chasers U13). Behind these accomplishments lies not only the significant attention from the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau and Guiyang No. 1 Middle School Li Duanfan but also the unique fact that this team was initially established and managed by a group of parents through crowdfunding.

From July 29 to August 2, 2025, the "Spark Cup" International Youth Football Invitation Tournament was held at the Guiyang Olympic Sports Center. Twelve teams and over 450 young football players from seven countries, including China, Spain, Japan, Vietnam, Kenya, Uzbekistan, and Thailand participated in the tournament.

In the group stage, the Guizhou Football Association U13 representative team (Guiyang No. 1 Middle School Li Duanfan Wind Chasers U13) was placed in Group B with the very strong Yokohama Mariners U13, losing 1-4 to the Japanese team but qualifying for the knockout stage as the best second-placed team.

▲ Encountering the Yokohama Mariners in the group stage.

According to the tournament format, the first place of Group A and the first place of Group C will face off in the semifinals, while the first place of Group B and the best second-placed team will compete against each other. Thus, the Wind Chasers met the Mariners again in the semifinals.

“When I saw that we were going to face the Yokohama Mariners again as the best second-placed team, I told the entire team that we must determine the outcome with them again!” said Li Hengchao, the team leader of the Guizhou Provincial Football Association U13 representative team and head of the Wind Chasers parents' committee. The Yokohama Mariners were the favorites to win the tournament, demonstrating strong possession tactics and individual skills. They had shown exceptional strength in the group stage, winning decisively against other teams while maintaining a clean sheet.

In the group match against the Yokohama Mariners, the Guizhou Wind Chasers conceded four goals but managed to score one in the second half. In Li Hengchao's eyes, scoring against the Mariners was a victory in itself, as it boosted the children's confidence.

▲ Li Hengchao, head of the Wind Chasers parents' committee.

After the group match, the Wind Chasers solidified their resolve. Before the rematch, the coaching staff prepared ten tactical plans. The main strategy was to use two defensive midfielders to cut off their central penetration and force the Yokohama Mariners to play on the flanks, while also focusing on attacking the 20th player, Tian Jiawei (the one who scored against the Mariners in the group stage).

Unlike the group stage where they conceded four goals, the Guizhou Provincial Football Association U13 team took the lead with a stunning long-range shot from their striker Tian Jiawei. In fact, head coach Li Jichao had reviewed videos of the Yokohama Mariners' matches repeatedly after losing to them in the group stage, and this meticulous preparation allowed the Wind Chasers to score first.

After conceding a goal, the Yokohama Mariners began to counterattack, and not long after the start of the second half, they equalized with another long-range shot, making the score 1-1 during regular time.

▲ The Wind Chasers faced the Yokohama Mariners again in the semifinals, but this time they emerged victorious.

The draw at the end of regular time did not make head coach Li Jichao nervous. In the penalty shootout lineup, he substituted in the injured number 7, Xiong Haoran, in the last minute of the match, assigning him to take the fifth penalty kick.

Reflecting on the semifinal, Li Jichao mentioned that he felt at least they wouldn’t lose the match just 15 minutes after kick-off. “As a coach, I was very confident. During halftime, I encouraged the players, telling them we could definitely win this game. I also anticipated that the opponent would score, so I prepared thoroughly for the penalties. Although our number 7, Xiong Haoran, was injured, I let him take the last penalty because I had confidence in my players.”

“The coach let me take the last penalty. At that moment, my injured left foot was wrapped in a bandage, but I endured the pain and confidently scored the penalty.” In the end, the Wind Chasers won 5-4 in the penalty shootout against the Yokohama Mariners. “At that time, the coach’s decision to let me play made me feel trusted, and I wanted to turn that trust into motivation as I stepped up to take the penalty.” Number 7, Xiong Haoran, still cannot forget his feelings at that moment.

After the match, the Yokohama Mariners, who lost, stayed in the locker room for nearly two hours without coming out.

This time, renowned coach Shen Xiangfu also came to Guiyang to watch the Spark Cup matches. He had previously coached Li Jichao, the head coach of the Guizhou Provincial Football Association U13 team. “After we lost to the Yokohama Mariners in the group stage, Coach Shen helped me analyze the situation, advising us to focus on defense first,” said Li Jichao. After eliminating the Mariners, the Wind Chasers faced the Shanghai Port U13 team in the finals, winning 1-0 and claiming the championship!

▲ Celebrating victory in the finals against the Shanghai Port U13 team.

The Guizhou Provincial Football Association U13 representative team has impressed many by defeating several international teams and the Shanghai Port youth team. Notably, a parents' committee has become a strong support for this team.

This U13 representative team is mainly composed of players from the Guiyang No. 1 Middle School Li Duanfan Wind Chasers, with most of the children starting their training at a social youth training institution in Guiyang in 2018 (at the age of 6). However, as the players developed towards becoming elite, some parents sought to improve their skills two years later and discussed crowdfunding to hire high-level private coaches. Hence, they established a crowdfunding club football training management model led by five parent committee members, promoting collective thinking and decision-making.

The Guizhou Wind Chasers parents' committee has designated someone to prepare a bucket of beef and eggs for the children every day at noon, accompanying them during training. A team, a group of parents, a coach, and a bunch of kids are steadfastly training day after day, whether in the mountains, under the sun, at night, in the rain, or in the snow, continuously “evolving.”

▲ The parents' committee provides extra meals for the children.

After establishing the parents' committee to manage the team, the Wind Chasers made two crucial decisions: first, during the transition to junior high school, they resolutely chose to stay in Guizhou despite invitations from youth training institutions and schools from both within and outside the province, collaborating with excellent local schools; second, they continued to hire high-level professional youth training coaches to serve as the main coach for the Wind Chasers.

The decision to hire Li Jichao was purely coincidental.

Initially, the parents' committee invited a senior youth training coach from Guizhou to lead the team, focusing on technical skills. Two years later, coincidentally, Li Jichao, who had played for Tianjin Songjiang and was coaching a youth training team in Shenzhen at that time, came to Guiyang. Thus, Li Hengchao, representing the parents' committee, sought Li Jichao's help in contacting high-level coaches for the Wind Chasers. A few days later, Li Jichao replied that he could give it a try.

This established their cooperative relationship. The names of Li Hengchao and Li Jichao differ by just one character, which indeed reflects their fate.

▲ Li Jichao becomes the head coach of the Guizhou Wind Chasers.

“At that time, our parents' committee's idea was to be strong if we were going to do it. After the coach arrived, he could focus on his work and dedicate himself to coaching. We never delayed salaries and wholeheartedly supported the coach's logistics because this is our own endeavor,” said Li Hengchao.

Three months after Li Jichao led the team in Guiyang, he decided to transfer his son from another city to Guiyang for school. Now, Li Jichao's family has also come to Guiyang to work and live. “Actually, when we were hiring Jichao, we had some concerns because he had previously been a youth training coach in Shenzhen and also served as a head coach and player for a championship team in the Shenzhen Super League. His coming to Guiyang indicated that he saw we were genuinely working for youth football training. I believe he found the youth training atmosphere and environment he wanted in Guiyang, accompanying the children in chasing their dreams,” said Li Hengchao.

After finding the right coach, the Wind Chasers' parents' committee has been working on integrating sports and education for the players. In 2024, with the care of leaders from the higher education department, the Shuanglong Management Committee, and Guiyang No. 1 Middle School, Guiyang No. 1 Middle School Li Duanfan and the Guizhou Wind Chasers began cooperation. After testing, the school recruited 15 players from the Wind Chasers to form the Guiyang No. 1 Middle School Li Duanfan Wind Chasers U13 football team. The Guizhou Wind Chasers have already sent three players to the national U12 women's football training team, the national U11 men's football training team, and the Chongqing Furen professional youth team during their primary school phase. In May 2025, player Xing Qiancheng was selected for the Chinese Football Association's 2012 age group elite training camp. The "three excellences" of good character, strong academics, and excellent football skills are gradually forming a high-level campus football "Guizhou model" that integrates sports and education comprehensively.

▲ Ma Lei, director of the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau, visits the Wind Chasers.

“Now the children have more prospects and opportunities in football. With the approval of the Guizhou Police Academy and Guizhou Sports Vocational College to establish football majors and enroll students for the first time, a university pathway for Guizhou football youth training has been opened.” Li Hengchao said excitedly, “We are grateful for the practical efforts of the main leaders of the Guizhou Provincial Sports Bureau, their determination to develop youth football training, their grassroots research, understanding the current situation of youth training in Guizhou, and their support for the construction and development of grassroots youth training teams like the Guizhou Wind Chasers. We will live up to expectations and continue to work hard!”

Li Hengchao said, “Outsiders may not have noticed that after each match, our players bow to the audience while counting in their hearts. I believe this is not just a simple bow of thanks; it is also for the children to sincerely reflect on the support and help from the audience, parents, coaches, and even opponents.”

This is the story of a group of Guizhou Wind Chaser football youths. I hope they continue to chase the wind and their dreams in the future and illuminate the paths of more young dreamers.