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The opening ceremony of the 2026 "Tongxin Cup" Xinjiang Super League is held in Urumqi on May 16. [Photo by Wang Fei / Xinhua]
Audiences cheer for the inaugural match of the 2026 "Tongxin Cup" Xinjiang Super League in Urumqi on May 16. [Photo by Wang Fei/Xinhua]
The opening ceremony of the 2026 "Tongxin Cup" Xinjiang Super League is held in Urumqi on May 16. [Photo by Wang Fei/Xinhua]
Teenage players give a warm-up performance before the Changji-Altay match at a stadium in the Changji Hui autonomous prefecture on May 17. [Photo by He Long/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A moment from a match on May 17, as Changji hosts Altay at a stadium in the Changji Hui autonomous prefecture. [Photo by He Long/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Fans cheer for the home team during the Changji-Altay match at a stadium in the Changji Hui autonomous prefecture on May 17. [Photo by He Long/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Urumqi and Karamay kick off the inaugural match of the 2026 "Tongxin Cup" Xinjiang Super League on May 16. [Photo by Wang Zhiqing / for chinadaily.com.cn]
Since its opening on Saturday, the 2026 "Tongxin Cup" Xinjiang Super League has drawn wide attention and participation from athletes and audiences alike. The opening ceremony and first match alone attracted more than 30,000 spectators.
As the inaugural league of its kind in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, it is the region's highest-level and most influential mass-participation soccer brand. Fourteen teams will compete in 56 matches, with the final scheduled for Aug 9.
The teams are jointly formed by Xinjiang's 14 prefecture-level regions and their adjacent divisions of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and are named after their respective prefectures.
According to the organizer, a total of 490 players have qualified for the league, ranging in age from 16 to 39. They include farmers and herders, workers, teachers and students, supermarket cashiers, and delivery couriers.
All matches have a uniform ticket price of 9.9 yuan ($1.45) for spectators across Xinjiang.
Hu Dongyue contributed to this story.
