The 2025 Xichang Qionghai Sunshine Cup National Youth Soccer Invitational Tournament kicked off in Xichang, Sichuan province, on Jan 18.

Taking place from Jan 18 to 23, the tournament has attracted nearly 1,200 young soccer players from around the country, to compete for the first, second and third place in each category, as well as for individual awards, in 510 matches.

The tournament is being co-hosted by the Sichuan Football Association, the Sichuan Sports Industry Group, and the Liangshan Culture and Tourism Investment Group.

"Rather than directly investing in training young players, we prefer to make matches a starting point and gradually influence the development of the soccer scene," said a representative of the tournament.

"Through organizing quality tournaments, we aim to attract accomplished players and advanced concepts to converge in Liangshan, improve the level of soccer coaches and referees, and create an exciting atmosphere."

The tournament also marks an effort by the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture to promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, with sports as a main feature.