As the Dalian 2025 FISU University World Cup Football heats up, a friendship sparked by the game is quietly taking root off the pitch. Lagos State University from Nigeria forward Okeke and Xu Jinbo, a fifth-grader at Dalian Northeast Road Primary School, have woven one of the tournament’s warmest stories—through a postcard, a panda plush, and a promised shirt swap.
Beginning: A Wonderful Encounter After the Opening Match
On September 17, Xu attended the opening match as a young spectator—his first close-up experience of the FISU University World Cup Football. Two days later, the FISU president visited his school. The following day, at a youth training base during a cultural show, Xu approached Nigeria’s Okeke for a photo—an image that would mark the start of a cross-border conversation between two new friends.
A Token of Appreciation: Doubly Delighted by a Handwritten Postcard and a “Fu”
On September 21, Xu wrote a postcard introducing Dalian, packed a panda plush and a paper-cut of the Chinese character “fu” (good fortune), and asked the organizers to pass them along. By coincidence, the next day—while Okeke was in a paper-cutting class working on the very same character—she received the gifts and lit up at the perfect match. “I’m going to see real pandas tomorrow!” She said excitedly, “It’s like getting a preview of my fate.”
Echo: A Pact at the Panda House and a Promise of a Jersey
On September 23, Okeke fulfilled her wish of seeing giant pandas at the Giant Panda House of Dalian Forest Zoo. In an interview, she frankly stated, “Dalian makes me feel the warmth of home, and the new friends here make me want to come to China again!” She wrote back to Xu Jinbai, not only expressing her gratitude but also putting forward a heartwarming proposal: to present her own jersey and expressing her expectation of playing for a Chinese team in the future.
A member of his class football team, Xu suggested they meet on September 27 at the women’s final at Suoyuwan Football Stadium to swap shirts and exchange contacts—so the friendship can keep growing across oceans.
Profound Meaning: When a Surname Hides “CHINA” Within
The first five letters of Okeke’s surname spell “CHINA”—and China is the first foreign country she has ever visited. Xu’s school, meanwhile, is known as a “star nursery” for youth football. Their meeting is a gentle metaphor for how the sport links China and the world in the softest, most human way.
The meaning of this FISU University World Cup Football goes beyond wins and losses. As the story of Okeke and Xu spreads on Dalian TV, football is once again proving to be a bridge for cultural exchange. In 2025, with one tournament and one friendship, Dalian is sending young people everywhere an invitation—to come, to love the city, and to help it thrive.
29 Sep
