HOHHOT, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Five students are practicing futsal football in one of the five football pitches in Hohhot Binhe sports park on a cold Saturday afternoon, their enthusiasm for football keeping them warm.

The 2018 futsal football champions league Inner Mongolia division ended in this park last Saturday. Ruiwo football team from Hohhot beat Xilingol League West Ujimqin Banner youth football team with a score of 4-2 to become the champions of the Inner Mongolia division and gained its ticket to enter North China division competition.

"It was a good game," said Xin Maosheng, one of the students at the park. Though he is not in the school football team like he was before junior high school, football is still his dream.

Competing on every weekend for one month, the eight teams went through seven rounds of matches and knockouts for the one and only chance to compete in the futsal champions league North China division.

Last Sunday, 2018 Inner Mongolia campus futsal first division league and cheerleading tournament opened in Inner Mongolia Vocational College of Chemical Engineer and will continue for six days. A total of 24 teams from high schools have taken part in it.

Futsal has a long history and has gained favor of people in Inner Mongolia because of its quick pace and boost to players' techniques.

"In the future, futsal football in Inner Mongolia will see a stable and healthy development with a better mechanism and well-trained referees and coaches," said Liu Yuanrong, head of Hohhot Futsal Football Association.