On June 26, 2022, the National Sports Bureau and the Chinese Football Association held an accreditation ceremony in Haikou, officially awarding the Mission Hills Haikou International Football Training Base as the Chinese National Football (South) Training Base. The base carries the mission of Chinese football reform and is dedicated to the new development of China's football industry with concrete football-related development projects to help promote Hainan as a national sports tourism demonstration zone and to further enhance the development of Hainan Free Trade Port.
The accreditation of the Chinese National Football (South) Training Base is an important initiative to implement the objective of "Building Two New National Football Training Bases to Meet the Competition and Training Needs of the National Team in Different Seasons" that is set out in the "Overall Plan for the Reform and Development of Chinese Football" national strategy and to improve the overall level of Chinese football. It is also a major aspect in the drive for Hainan to create a national sports tourism demonstration zone as part of the development of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics and world influence. It is also the demonstration of the inherent sporting genes and the responsibility felt by Mission Hills Group to strengthen the level of competitive sports and to popularize sports for all.
In addition to its great location and comforting weather, the Chinese National Football (South) Training Base is well equipped with comprehensive football facilities that meet international standards, first-class training, research and rehabilitation infrastructure and strong administrative support capabilities. With the full completion of the Base, it will be able to provide all-round support for the training, research and professional exchanges of national men's and women's football teams at all levels, international and domestic professional clubs and youth teams, and to provide services to all participating athletes, coaches, referees, researchers and medical personnel alike. It will offer a good supporting foundation for the improvement of the Chinese national football and the development of overall professional football and its talents.
The positioning of Chinese National Football (South) Training Base is to be a world-class football training facility and the leader in Asia, as one of the two national football training bases in China - South and North. The Base carries the mission of revitalizing Chinese football and benchmarks against top international training bases. As the next step, the Chinese Football Association will join hands with Hainan Province, Haikou City and Mission Hills Group to kick off the long-term planning of the Base to be the Chinese National Football Training Base, Chinese National Football Academy and a center for sports medical and rehabilitation center and international football exchanges.
The "Chinses National Football Training Base" will benchmark against top international training bases. With the foundation of top-quality venues, facilities and equipment, comprehensive medical and research resources will also be brought in to provide training support and guidance for the national teams.
"Chinese National Football Academy" will have inherent Chinese characteristics and offer high-quality teaching resources from FIFA and AFC with the objective to strengthen the training of football practitioners and cultivate professional talents in the areas of football management, sports industry, medical technology, venue construction, PR and marketing etc..
The "Sports Medical and Rehabilitation Center" will work with the top international and domestic institutions for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries. The objective is to create a top integrated international sports medical and rehabilitation center, here in Haikou.
The "International Football Exchange Center" will fully utilize Hainan's unique geographical advantages to facilitate the extensive exchanges between high-level teams and industry experts with an aim to build a leading football exchanges platform.
The planned total area of the Chinese National Football (South) Training Base is approximately 800 mu, with a total investment of 1.4 billion yuan. The overall venue encompasses 30 football grounds, an athlete’s hotel with a capacity for 861 athletes, a 650-seat player restaurant, a physical training center, a medical and rehabilitation center, an indoor swimming pool, an office building, a large changing facility and an ecological garden and so on. The entire venue has been fully constructed and was put into operations in December 2020.
Among the 30 football grounds at the Base, there are 19 11-a-side outdoor pitches, 1 11-a-side indoor pitch, 6 7-a-side pitches, 2 beach football fields, and 2 goalkeeper training grounds. Bermuda grass and Zoysia grass are used in the natural turf grounds, and FIFA-certified artificial turf and environmental-friendly elastic rubber particles are used in the artificial turf grounds. The entire construction adheres to the FIFA quality standards. The completed grounds have all been accredited by the French laboratory Labosport with the natural turf grounds achieving a rating of 93, and the artificial turf grounds meeting FIFA quality standards. There are 8 pitches with lighting facilities to meet the demands of night-time training and tournaments.
The 11-a-side indoor football training ground is currently the only indoor training ground in China (and Asia) that meets the international standards. The ground covers a total area of 10,270m2 and adopts an all-steel frame structure with a roof that is made of heat-insulating materials. The pitch is constructed with FIFA-certified artificial turf and environmental-friendly elastic rubber particles and is suitable for football training and competitions at all weathers.
Chinese National Football (South) Training Base has been in operation for two years, and has already accommodated teams in the hundreds, including the Chinese National Men's and Women's Football 1st Teams, the National Women's Rugby Team, the National Archery Team, the Chinese National Men's Basketball 2nd Team, various professional teams within China and abroad, as well as club, youth and school teams. The Base has also created and hosted numerous international and domestic tournaments, such as the Chinese Football Association Super League, Chinese Football Association Women's Super League, National College Basketball League, National High School Basketball League, National Seniors Basketball Invitational Tournament, National College Football League, Hainan-Hong Kong-Macau-Taiwan Friendly Football Tournament and World Celebrities Football Tournament.
