Xinjiang's Rising Stars: How Women's Football is Empowering Young Girls in China's Northwest

Par Shang Rongzheng, People's Daily

"Go! Go!"

At the 2026 national ethnic unity friendship football tournament, a group of girls aged 12 to 14 from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, dressed in red jerseys, formed a circle and shouted in unison. Energized and determined, they then took to the pitch.

Twelve-year-old Sayipjamal Khasim, from Akto county in the Kizilsu Kirgiz autonomous prefecture, first discovered her passion for football at the age of nine. At that time, her school lacked a proper football field, so the children set up two makeshift goals on a dirt playground. Watching her friends play with such enthusiasm inspired her to give the sport a try.

"I wanted to learn too, but hardly any girls at school played football, so I could only watch the boys from the sidelines," she recalled. Later, the school built a proper football field and hired a professional coach. When the coach announced plans to form a girls' team, more than 30 girls, including Sayipjamal Khasim, signed up right away.

The girls started with the fundamentals: passing, receiving, shooting, and football theory. The demanding training proved too much for some, who considered quitting. "Football can help you kick your worries away," the coach encouraged them.

The coach then organized a fitness test, after which Sayipjamal Khasim was chosen as team captain. "Our coach is very strict, but his meticulous approach has helped us improve quickly," she said. Her father initially did not support her playing football, believing girls would not achieve much in the sport. "I quietly made up my mind to prove him wrong."

From county-level competitions to those held at the autonomous-region level, Sayipjamal Khasim has consistently performed well. A wall at home is covered with her medals and certificates. Though still young, she has already set her sights high: "I hope to make the national team one day and play in the FIFA Women's World Cup."

On the pitch, 12-year-old goalkeeper Aysma Askar, who stands 173 centimeters tall, immediately caught the eye. She only started playing football early last year. "At first, I wanted to play forward because I liked explosive moves. But the coach suggested I become a goalkeeper based on my strengths," Aysma Askar said.

Her transformation began with overcoming her fear. At first, whenever the ball came flying toward her, Aysma Askar would instinctively flinch. When the ball approached the goal, she would simply close her eyes and dive for it, often losing control of her movements. The coach put her through intensive training until she learned to face every shot head-on and make the save.

Aysma Askar sets high standards for herself and wants to stop every shot on goal. "Whenever the other team scores, I feel terrible. I blame myself for making a mistake, and I feel guilty for costing the team a goal," she said.

"Relax. Don't get nervous. A goalkeeper needs to have a strong mentality," her coach told her. He encouraged her not to lose heart after conceding a goal, but to think about what she could do better and how to defend more effectively next time. During subsequent training sessions and matches, Aysma Askar would silently repeat her coach's words to herself, quickly regain her composure and grow more confident with every game.

At the 2026 national ethnic unity friendship football tournament, Aysma Askar was named an outstanding player. Holding her trophy, she beamed with joy.

Today, more and more Xinjiang girls like Sayipjamal Khasim and Aysma Askar are discovering football and falling in love with the sport. A relevant official from the Xinjiang regional women's federation said the federation is working to make women's football competitions more regular and systematic, while strengthening four key functions: competitive matches, cross-regional exchanges, cultural study tours and public-interest programs.

Over the past two years, the number of women's football teams in Xinjiang has risen from 268 to 822, while the number of registered female players participating in training has increased from 4,177 to 12,958. Girls from all ethnic groups across Xinjiang are showing growing enthusiasm for football.