Lu Zeling, a third-year student from NUAA who wears the No 79 jersey for Wuxi, competes in the final of 2026 Jiangsu Football City League. [Photo/en.nuaa.edu.cn]
With the score still level at 0-0 in the 28th minute of the 2026 Jiangsu Football City League final, Lu Zeling found the breakthrough.
The No 79 player for Wuxi struck from the left side of the penalty area, sending a low shot into the net at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center. The opening goal helped set Wuxi on its way to a 2-1 victory over Changzhou and the league title.
For Lu, a third-year accounting student at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the moment was the culmination of a season of progress both on and off the pitch.
Over the course of the season, Lu provided more than 10 key chances and scored three important goals.
His commitment to football extends to campus life. As a member of the NUAA football team, he helped the university finish sixth in the National University Five-a-Side Football League, the school's best result in the competition in a decade.
Lu is shown studying diligently at class. [Photo/en.nuaa.edu.cn]
Balancing university studies with training has meant a demanding weekly routine. From Monday to Friday, Lu attends classes and studies in the library before setting off for Nanjing South Railway Station in the late afternoon. A combination of metro, high-speed rail and taxi takes him to Wuxi, where he arrives at around 6:30 pm for two hours of intensive training.
After training, he heads back to Wuxi Railway Station, often returning to his dormitory close to 11 pm. He repeats the journey five times a week.
"It is certainly tiring, but compared with my love for football, it is something I can accept," Lu said.
Lu has a grade point average of 4.1, placing him among the top students in his accounting program. He has passed six ACCA examinations as he works toward a future career in accounting.
Lu's story reflects a wider effort at NUAA to make sport an integral part of student life. The university offers more than 30 specialized physical education courses, 38 sports clubs and 21 university teams.
In 2025 alone, NUAA organized 62 campus-wide activities and more than 320 sporting events, attracting over 100,000 participants.
