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Yanbian fans witnesses return of former Chinese football King

Xinhua, November 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Yanbian held a victory ceremony here for its football team's return to Chinese top flight since 2000 on Thursday. 

   Li Gang and Li Qiang, who are common witnesses of the history and famous twin fans of Yanbian team, held the year's China League trophy during the ceremony break, mixing laughs and tears. 

   The twins have been Yanbian team's loyal followers since 1998. They had to go to the stadium in Yanji from their hometown which lies more than a hundred kilometers away by truck. 

  "We are not rich, but we are light of heart from care at the time, when we saw Yanbian fighting in C League," Li Gang said.

   Yanbian is China's largest area for ethnic Koreans, and its capital city Yanji, though not a rich one, is crazy for soccer. 

   Just like Li Gang and Li Qiang, an 86-year-old Chinese Korean Li Aixin donated 1,000 yuan (158 dollars) to the Yanbian team this June, and asked the club to buy more watermelons and nutritional products for the players.

   The lady can only earn 2,100 yuan per month, and she now has a nickname called "watermelons grandma". 

   Built in 1960, the Yanbian team lifted the National Champion trophy for the first time 50 years ago. In 1990s, Yanbian's home stadium were enjoying sell-out records, the fans who could not get tickets climbed on the top of trees besides the stadium to feed their sights.

   "Soccer is not just a sport event for Yanbian people, it is a livelihood project for us," said by Fu Wenbiao, deputy governor of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.

   "We have always regarded football as an essential part of dream context. We never give up the dream even we left the top flight 15 years ago," Li Gang said.

   The twins now manage a bridal service company in Yanji city. They admitted that it was soccer which had brought much money to them. "We are always in the court, no matter how many fans were still there," Li Qiang said.

   "Even Chinese Super League's 5 constitutive titles owner (Guangzhou Evergrande) couldn't defeat us in Yanji in 2010. We may become a dark horse in the next season," Li Gang added.   Endi