Enthusiastic Communications University of China students and a dozen young pop stars played a friendly soccer game on Wednesday to kick off the month-long Communications University Football Cup.

The Communications University Football Cup was founded in 1983 by Zheng Hao, a graduate who went on to become a famous film director. Many celebrity alumni, including TV anchors, have joined the games.

More than 100 students from 14 departments, including broadcast hosting, and film and TV art, will compete until the final match on May 11.

Several hundred other students helped organize the activity, including cheerleaders who danced and rooted for their teams during the opening ceremony.

Co-organizer Zhao Ruixin said he and his fellow students spent more than a month making preparations. They sent out hundreds of invitations and made their own banners.

"The most difficult part is to contact the stars' agencies to invite them to join the game," Zhao, who is a freshman in the broadcast hosting department, said. "I am happy we made it."

Zhan Boyuan, a freshman who majors in broadcast hosting, said the match was "neck-to-neck, exactly as I'd expected".

The opening match featured such pop vocalists as Wang Xiaokun, who became famous after he won Shanghai Dragon TV's 2006 musical talent competition My Show. The 23-year-old singer said he appreciated the students who came to cheer for the teams.

The game finished 6-6.