Tong Lei, who plays for the Dalian Professional F.C. (Football Club), is shortlisted as one of 28 players on the new China Men's National Football Team training list released by the Chinese Football Association on Sept 29. [Photo/qz123.com]

Football player Tong Lei from Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, was one of 28 players on the new China Men's National Football Team training list released by the Chinese Football Association on Sept 29.

This means that the rising football star will have a chance to participate in the Asian qualifier games for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and become the first Quzhou player in history to be selected to the national men's football team.

Tong Lei, born in 1997, fell in love with football at the ripe age of seven.

"For the first two years I was playing as wing halfback and it was very competitive. I really didn't show any special talent, so I decided to work hard to not be eliminated from the team," Tong Lei said.