Teenage soccer, hockey players meet special fan

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L, front) and his Czech counterpart Milos Zeman meet with Chinese and Czech young athletes of football and ice hockey after their talks in Prague, the Czech Republic, March 29, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Despite a tight schedule during his state visit to the Czech Republic, President Xi Jinping spent about 20 minutes on Tuesday with teenage soccer and ice hockey players from both countries.

Xi, an avid soccer fan, shook hands with the young players in front of the south garden of the Czech President's Office at about 12:50 pm, just after the signing of a joint declaration on a strategic partnership with his Czech counterpart, Milos Zeman.

During the meeting, Xi accepted sports shirts as gifts from the teenage players. He also posed for photos with a visiting ice hockey team of Chinese players around the age of 16.

While shaking hands with the Czech players, Xi invited them to China.

The national ice hockey team of the Czech Republic is one of the most successful in the world. The Czechs won the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and won three straight gold medals at the world championships from 1999 to 2001.

President Zeman, who visited China in September, and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who visited in November, have both discussed sports cooperation with Chinese leaders.

"The 2022 Winter Olympics to be held in China also offer a great opportunity for sports exchanges between our two countries." Xi said in an article published in the daily newspaper Pravo on Saturday, ahead of his state visit.

In November, Liu Peng, president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, visited Prague to learn about the Czech Republic's winter sports setup and the country's experience in organizing events.

It was expected that the two countries will announce plans to further collaborate on sports during Xi's visit.