Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Good news recently came from the Italian football field. The "Chinese Football Boy" U12 team won the championship in the final of Italy's Sigismondi Cup with a perfect record of 7 wins, becoming the first Asian team to win the tournament. The children demonstrated an excellent competitive spirit and a positive attitude. Images of overseas Chinese waving national flags and the children's innocent smiles as they celebrated with backflips quickly went viral on social media, igniting the passion of countless people.

What's even more inspiring than winning the championship is the quality the children displayed during the competition. Children in the U12 age group are at a crucial stage of development. They learn respect through competition, hone their willpower in adversity, understand responsibility within a team, and build confidence through hard work. The qualities of perseverance, cooperation, self-discipline, and commitment they cultivate often have more values than a single victory or defeat. In fact, what truly touches people's hearts is the pure love for football from the coaches and young players.

Breakthroughs in competitive sports are never without foundation. This seemingly surprising trophy demonstrates the deep support that a strong foundation in mass sports provides for competitive levels. From the vibrant village sports streets of southeastern Guizhou to the night runners under the streetlights in towns; from elderly people stretching in the morning light in parks to children playing freely on the green fields on weekends, sports in China are quietly transforming into the most vivid and vibrant part of daily life. It is this massive wave of mass fitness activities, characterized by "everyone's participation and love," that has built the foundation for more Chinese children to participate in football.

The winning this time demonstrates that Chinese modernization has provided stronger material conditions and organizational support for sports development. In the past, some children wanted to play football but lacked facilities, coaches, and competitions. Now, more and more places are comprehensively promoting the construction of sports facilities, youth training, the integration of sports and education, and mass participation events. More children have the opportunity to unleash their talents through standardized training, broaden their horizons in higher-level competitions, and enhance their confidence through international exchanges. The level of development in sports also reflects a nation's development capacity, social organizational capacity, and public service capacity, comprehensively expanding the space for human development, transforming children's passions into pathways to growth, and turning societal expectations into a force supporting the future.

A nation's strength is also reflected in the running figures, bright eyes, and composure and confidence of its children as they face the world. Today's Chinese youth are growing up in an era of improving national development, expanding social openness, and more frequent international exchanges. They have broader horizons and more opportunities to showcase themselves; they enjoy better conditions for growth, but they also need to constantly hone their will through sports, learning, and practice. The fighting spirit and tenacity displayed in football matches are a microcosm of China's "spirit of the times."

The win of China's football kids is one vivid example illustrating the logic of contemporary Chinese development. Amid unprecedented changes unseen in a century, many seemingly "accidental" successes by ordinary people are underpinned by the dividends created by the nation's overall development in this era. From ZXMOTO's triumphs on the European stage to the low-budget film Dear You achieving box office success, now, an amateur football coach leading a young Chinese football team is redefining the world's perception of China's sporting potential. Looking back over the years, from breakthroughs in technological bottlenecks to global leadership in the new energy industry; from the widespread popularity of rural sports events to the global craze for Chinese cultural IPs, these stories all demonstrate the same principle: China's development miracle relies on countless ordinary, hardworking Chinese people. The power of China's development lies in activating the innate fighting spirit, innovation, and cultural confidence within the Chinese people, providing them with a stage to realize their dreams.

This victory for Chinese youth is undoubtedly an inspiring example of youth sports practice. It shouldn't be exaggerated as a "turning point." For the children, the most important thing is to maintain their passion and grow healthily through scientific training. For society, the most important thing is to transform attention into more rational and sustained support. Let's applaud these lovely children and cheer for this vibrant era.