By Xinhua writers Li Binian, Liu Jinhui

ZHENGZHOU, China, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- With no experience as a professional football player, 44-year-old Shi Tiangang has been the assistant coach for seven years of a team in the Chinese Indoor Futsal League in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Friday. He gets no salary and has to pay flight tickets at his own expense.

Shi fell in love with football in high school and has been playing it ever since. In 2003, he started to organize teams to compete in Zhengzhou, the capital city of central China's Henan province.

In 2010, he formed a futsal team together with his friends. In Feb. 2017, his team, the Running Star Football Club, took part in the Indoor Futsal League matches and finished eighth, the last place.

"After playing in the national competition we know how amateur we are. Other teams have retired football players. What we've got are teachers, media and power plant workers etc.," said Shi.

"And we've got no sponsor. All the expenses are paid by ourselves," he added.

Chen Haoxuan, the striker of the team, who has studied in the Henan Football School, is most close to a professional player in the team. Before he could play in any national match, he went to college and joined his family business after graduation.

But football remains his favorite leisure activity.

"I can't give it up, it has become a part of me," said Chen, 29. "Taking part in the Indoor Futsal League matches reminds me of the good old days when I was younger."

To achieve better result, the team has brought in several former professional players this season. Li Jia is one of them.

Li, who works as a public servant, used to be a player with the Henan Jianye Football Club and has played in the U15, U17 and U19 team.

"There is no salary, no bonus playing for the Running Star. All the expenses are paid by myself. And I have to ask for leave which affects my income," said Li.

"But I can play with those professional players so it is worthwhile," he added.

To their relief, the team has two sponsors now. One donates training and match wear, the other donates football shoes. But it is far from enough.

"Unlike the successful teams that have donations up to three to four million yuan for training and match, our donations are from friends," said Shi.

Up to 20 players of the Running Star have registered for the match, but six of them could not make it.

"It is required to have a doctor on the team, so I asked a doctor friend for help. But it is very difficult to ask for leave of 8 days in a hospital. So he can only join us on the day the match starts," said Shi.

For a group of football lovers, Chen said that they need more help and support from the society.

"We come from different places so that the team had only one training before the match. The team can not go on like this," said Chen.