China to host women's ASEAN soccer invitational tournament

The first women's China-ASEAN soccer tournament will be held in June in the border city of Chongzuo in Guangxi province, organizers said on Monday.

The Chinese women's team, dubbed "Steel Roses", will compete in the one-week invitational tournament also featuring teams of southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.

With an eye to arousing interests in women's soccer, southern city Chongzuo, mainly yielding cane sugar and sub-tropical fruits, will open the matches to all the fans for free.

"If the tournament goes well, we will turn it into an annual thing," said Chongzuo mayor Zhang Xiulong, who is organizing committee director for the event.

Source: Xinhua