＂Olive＂ is the first ＂flag＂ to win the youth flag football match held in Zheng

On November 20th, the reporter learned from the Henan Student Sports Association that the 2023 Youth Waist Flag Rugby Competition, the first inter-school rugby league in Zhengzhou Economic Development Zone, recently started in Chaofeng Road Primary School (North Campus). A total of 118 small players from the school teams of seven primary schools in the Economic Development Zone will compete in the five-day competition to show off the style of waist flag football, a new wave sport that has just entered the Olympics.

This youth flag football match is guided by Henan Student Sports Association and Zhengzhou Education Bureau, sponsored by Education, Culture and Sports Bureau of Zhengzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, and undertaken by Chaofenglu Primary School and Dongzhimai Sports and Culture Development Co., Ltd. in Economic Development Zone. This is also the first time that the Economic Development Zone has held an inter-school rugby league. It is understood that Flag Football is a variant of American football. Unlike the traditional American football, the defender does not throw the ball holder down, but pulls the flag from the ball holder to end an attack. As a non-contact, zero-equipment, small-scale football game, flag football has no requirements for the number, age and physical fitness of participants. Even with zero sports foundation, it can quickly integrate into the team, and it can achieve mixed teams of men and women and compete in the same field. Flag rugby has now become an official event of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

During the game, the attacking player hangs a colorful waist flag around his waist, and the defending player pulls out the opponent’s waist flag instead of the traditional American football collision confrontation to stop the attack. You come and go between teams, holding each other back, constantly running, attacking, and pitching … The little players are just like each other, competing tactics and physical strength on the court. "This competition is somewhat similar to tearing brand-name games. It is fun and exciting, and the threshold is low. It tests the team spirit and helps to enhance the tacit understanding and friendship of the team." A small contestant said happily.

As a new sports event that has just entered the Olympic Games, waist flag rugby has entered the campus under the background of deepening the integration of sports and education and promoting the healthy development of teenagers, and gradually formed a good campus sports culture and fierce competitive exchanges between schools and teams, which has become a unique landscape in the primary school campus of Economic Development Zone. In this regard, the relevant person in charge of the Education, Culture and Sports Bureau of the Economic Development Zone said, "In recent years, the Economic Development Zone has constructed the sunshine sports opening mode of’ one activity class every day to ensure one hour of exercise’ and promoted it in the whole province. This flag football game is another potential but challenging event added to the competition system of the Economic Development Zone."

"The purpose of holding this inter-school league is to let children feel the charm of emerging sports in flag football, make good use of after-school time, like sports, fall in love with sports and enjoy sports." A person in charge of the competition organizer said, "In the future, the competition system will be further enriched, and the middle school league is being planned to let more primary and secondary school students participate in this emerging sport. Teams that have achieved outstanding results in the league will also participate in the national finals to enhance their experience and show their style on a higher stage. "

(Zhengguan journalist Chen Kaiwen Image source: Yaoqi Rugby Inter-school League Organizing Committee)