The students on the football team of Shigatse Shanghai Experimental School in Tibet

The students on the football team of Shigatse Shanghai Experimental School in Tibet.Never expected

that their very first home game on their own school field would be against opponents from 20,000 kilometers away.

With an average altitude exceeding 4,000 meters, the oxygen-thin, low-pressure environment of Tibet makes it a place where almost no teams choose to come and play.

But on May 20th, organized through the efforts of Shanghai's aid program for Tibet, a youth football team from Salta Province, Argentina

flew over ten thousand kilometers from the other side of the globe to Shigatse, Tibet. There, they played a friendly football match with the youths passionate about the sport on the snow-capped plateau.

Whether traveling east or west, the straight-line distance between Argentina and China is approximately 20,000 kilometers. Dubbed the country farthest from China in the world

Salta Province, much like the Tibet Autonomous Region, is situated on a high plateau.

The Argentine players live and train year-round at altitudes above 3,000 meters. Similar living environments, comparable ages, and a shared passion for football allowed the children, originally from opposite ends of the world, to bond instantly.

As soon as they entered the venue, the Argentine players proactively approached the Shigatse team's rest area. Like long-lost friends reunited, they greeted each other familiarly and began taking photos to commemorate the moment.

Language barrier for the players? No problem. Body Language is universal.

"I thought their number 9 was especially awesome, so I pointed at him, then smoothed his hair and gave him a thumbs up. ‘He smiled; I knew he understood’," said Shigatse player Tashi Woeser.

Playing their first home game, the students were thrilled. "I'm super excited. It's rare to have a home game, and the opponents are from the other side of the world, the homeland of my idol," said 18-year-old Tashi Sangpo.

As a child, Tashi Sangpo saw a flag "with a sun" on TV, leaving a deep impression. In fifth grade, he started playing football and instantly fell in love with Messi. Argentina also became a country in his heart that felt"unfamiliar yet familiar". Before the match even began, the atmosphere was electrifying.

Playing at home, the biggest wish was naturally to win. But both spectators and players offered their utmost enthusiasm. The rock anthem "We Will Rock You" blared across the field. The pitch seemed transformed into a World Cup venue. Argentine players danced to the beat, waving and acknowledging the crowd as cheers echoed through the stadium.

Before kickoff, the players presented the Argentine team with white hada scarves one by one. Both sides exchanged jerseys and team flags. Cheers and shouts of "Animo" (Spanish for "Come on!") rose continuously from the stands.

The match began. Players from Argentina scored the opening goal first.

The Shigatse children were not to be outdone. A stylish header followed by a follow-up shot leveled the score.

"They are very fast and smart; you can see they share the same deep passion for football as we do," said Argentine player Puka Carlos. Tashi Sangpo also learned a lot from the game. "Their football IQ is high, and their teamwork is excellent."

During halftime, students from the school performed a traditional Tibetan dance.

However, the weather didn't cooperate. Before the halftime show ended, torrential rain poured from the sky.

The second half had to be canceled. Facing this unfinished match,

players from both sides expressed their regret. "We are all sad that we couldn't give China a complete performance. Thank you to this beautiful city for its warmth. We hope to have another chance to come back to Tibet and finish this game, said Puka Carlos.

Thanks to the help from Shanghai's aid program for Tibet, the children of Shigatse Shanghai Experimental School not only welcomed guests from afar at their doorstep

but have also extended their footprint beyond the plateau. Last year, they traveled to Shanghai to play exchange matches and watch games with local youth training teams.

They also participated in the Guizhou "Village Super League." That was Tashi Sangpo's first time leaving Tibet and his first time on a plane.

"I never imagined I could play football in Shanghai,"

Tashi Sangpo said. Now a high school sophomore, his dream is to get into Shanghai University of Sport

and become a professional football player.

Lobsang, the coach of Shigatse Shanghai Experimental School, said that Tibetan children love football

and have excellent physical fitness. However, limited by geographical conditions,

the area has long lacked high-quality competitions. Benefiting from the national pairing assistance mechanism for Tibet,

children passionate about football on the plateau now have more opportunities to learn and exchange outside the highlands.

Zhang Xiaobo, head of Shanghai's "group-based" education talent aid team for Tibet and principal of Shigatse Shanghai Experimental School, stated,

This football friendly showcased the spirit and passion for sports of Tibetan youth to international friends.

This is not only a sports exchange between youth from two regions but also an exchange of culture and people-to-people bonds between China and Argentina.

This match missing its second half left regret in the hearts of the youth from both countries.

But this regret also sets the stage for our next reunion.

                                                                 Reprinted from Xinhua Net