‘Premier League’ returns after eight-year break
2025-04-20 19:04:26
By Ma Yuanchen.
Yichang’s Dongti Cup Football Tournament will return this year after an eight-year hiatus. Known as the “Football Premier League of Yichang,” the tournament was first held in 1992 at the Dongshan Gymnasium. It ran for 16 editions until 2017, with a peak of 32 participating teams. The event quickly became a staple of local sports, drawing large crowds and fostering community spirit through exciting matches.
The revived tournament, organized by the Yichang Football Association, is open to amateur and semi-professional teams. Its return responds to strong public demand to honor the city’s football legacy and reignite local enthusiasm for the sport.
This year’s matches will take place in Wujiagang and Yiling districts. The current phase will run throughout the year and feature 5-a-side and 8-a-side matches, with 38 teams already registered.
The tournament will also introduce adult and youth 11-a-side matches in the second half of the year, according to Zhang Rong, secretary general of the city’s football association.
<caption> A football team competing in a previous Dongti Cup held in Yichang.
Tian Dongming, Zhaoyu, Sun hongya contributed to this story.
Yichang’s Dongti Cup Football Tournament will return this year after an eight-year hiatus. Known as the “Football Premier League of Yichang,” the tournament was first held in 1992 at the Dongshan Gymnasium. It ran for 16 editions until 2017, with a peak of 32 participating teams. The event quickly became a staple of local sports, drawing large crowds and fostering community spirit through exciting matches.
The revived tournament, organized by the Yichang Football Association, is open to amateur and semi-professional teams. Its return responds to strong public demand to honor the city’s football legacy and reignite local enthusiasm for the sport.
This year’s matches will take place in Wujiagang and Yiling districts. The current phase will run throughout the year and feature 5-a-side and 8-a-side matches, with 38 teams already registered.
The tournament will also introduce adult and youth 11-a-side matches in the second half of the year, according to Zhang Rong, secretary general of the city’s football association.
<caption> A football team competing in a previous Dongti Cup held in Yichang.
Tian Dongming, Zhaoyu, Sun hongya contributed to this story.
