China's veteran goalkeeper and soccer commentator Zhang Lu was inducted into the Zhidan Soccer Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Tuesday, which took place in Zhidan county in Northwest China.
As the first Soccer Hall of Fame in China, it is the third time that Zhidan County has picked celebrity for the Hall of Fame. Zhang played soccer and coached a team at Zhidan during the 1960-1970 as an educated urban youth from Beijing.
"It's an honor to receive this award. I still remember matches I played in Zhidan," said Zhang at the ceremony.
"Zhidan's soccer is still on the right track and I hope that all of the trainees here can fulfill their dreams because of the spirit that soccer gave them," he added.
Zhidan boasts U-12 and U-15 soccer teams who have played for China several times at the international tournaments in Sweden, South Korea and Germany, including at the Gothia Cup.
"We launched the Hall of Fame to show our appreciation for those who helped the development of soccer in Zhidan county and nationwide and encourage our youths to learn from these legendary footballers," said Ding Changbao, chairperson of the Zhidan Football Association.
