Huang Yiyang (L), Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt, accepts a signed football from Klaus Schlappner, the first foreign head coach of China Men's National Football Team, during a press conference for 8th German-Chinese U16 Football Tournament held in Mannheim, Germany, on July 1, 2025. The match will take place in Mannheim this August, with about 10 teams expected to participate, organizers announced Tuesday. (Xinhua/Tai Sicong)

MANNHEIM, Germany, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A German-Chinese under-16 football tournament will take place in Mannheim this August, with about 10 teams expected to participate, organizers announced Tuesday.

The 8th German-Chinese U16 Football Tournament is scheduled for August 19-23 at the Seppl-Herberger Stadium, located within the grounds of local club SV Waldhof Mannheim, according to a press release from the Society for German-Chinese Friendship in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region.

Organizers expect four to five Chinese teams and five German teams, including sides from Heidelberg and Stuttgart, to compete in the tournament. Felix Kurz, chairman of GDCF MRN and one of the project's initiators, said the event aims to promote "personal encounters between people from both countries at all levels."

The tournament was jointly initiated by Kurz, former China men's national team coach Klaus Schlappner, and former Mannheim First Mayor Norbert Egger. The first edition was held in Mannheim in 2012.

The event alternates between Germany and China. The seventh edition was hosted in 2019 by the Chinese cities of Haikou and Sanya in Hainan Province. ■

Huang Yiyang, Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt, delivers a speech at a press conference for 8th German-Chinese U16 Football Tournament held in Mannheim, Germany, on July 1, 2025. The match will take place in Mannheim this August, with about 10 teams expected to participate, organizers announced Tuesday. (Xinhua/Tai Sicong)

Photo taken on July 1, 2025 shows a general view of a press conference for 8th German-Chinese U16 Football Tournament held in Mannheim, Germany. The match will take place in Mannheim this August, with about 10 teams expected to participate, organizers announced Tuesday. (Xinhua/Tai Sicong)