BEIJING – Inter Academy Yihai Beijing, the third Inter Academy on Chinese soil, is set to launch in Beijing tomorrow.
Based on the top-level coaching methods used in the F.C. Internazionale youth academy – like the Inter Academy projects already running in Shanghai and Nanjing – this latest addition in the capital will contribute to the development of Chinese football via a partnership with Yihai Group, involving around 30 schools and 5000 children over the course of a year.
This afternoon the Nerazzurri delegation in Beijing, headed up by Inter vice president Javier Zanetti, met with Ji Lin, Chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
"We want to develop football in Beijing and throughout the country, and it is an objective we are investing a lot of money in," Ji Lin said. "I'd like to thank Inter for the help they are giving us through Inter Academy and this first-class football project involving our schools.
"As it happens, I'm also an Inter fan. Whenever Inter have come to play here in Beijing, I've always been there at the stadium cheering them on in my Nerazzurri shirt."
"It's an honour for Inter to be a part of this wonderful dream that China wants to realise," Zanetti commented. "By sharing the same sporting values we can do a lot to help children grow both as people and as footballers. It's a pleasure for us to share our coaching methods and our passion – a source of pride for our club. We're also particularly happy to be working with Yihai, who have always promoted educational values in youth here in China."
