The 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Football Exchange Competition was held in Guangzhou from July 13-15, with the opening ceremony held at the Guangzhou Sport University located in the city's Tianhe district.

The match involved 16 teams and 160 players. Nine teams are from the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing in Guangdong province, six are from Hong Kong, and one is from Macao. The championship was ultimately won by the Zhaoqing squad.

"It's hoped that more young people in Hong Kong will understand the development of the Chinese mainland through this match and integrate into it," said Eric Fok, chairman of the Hong Kong Guangdong Youth Association, at the opening ceremony.

The match also serves as a prelude to the 15th National Games, which will be jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in 2025.

The 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Football Exchange Competition takes place in Guangzhou on July 13-15. Initiated in 2018, the match has been held three times in 2018, 2019, and 2023. [Photo/Yangcheng Evening News]

Furthermore, Hong Kong and Macao players were given on-site visits to the Guangdong Ersha Sports Training Center, Yong Qing Fang, and the Bai'etan Greater Bay Area Art Center, to gain a better understanding of the development of the Chinese mainland cities.