Lu Zeling, a third-year accounting student at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), scored the opening goal in the final of the 2026 Jiangsu Football City League. Playing for Wuxi at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, he helped his city beat Changzhou 2-1 and win the title, while keeping a 4.1 grade point average.
Lu's season shows that students at NUAA can compete at a high level in sport without stepping back from their studies. Over the league season he created more than 10 key chances and scored 3 important goals. In the same period he stayed among the top students in his accounting programme and passed 6 ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) examinations.
Key facts
Lu Zeling is a third-year accounting student at NUAA and wears the No 79 shirt for Wuxi.
He scored the first goal of the 2026 Jiangsu Football City League final in the 28th minute, with the score at 0-0.
Wuxi beat Changzhou 2-1 at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center to win the league.
Across the season he created more than 10 key chances and scored 3 important goals.
He has a grade point average of 4.1 and has passed 6 ACCA examinations.
With the NUAA football team, he helped the university finish 6th in the National University Five-a-Side Football League, its best result in the competition in 10 years.
What happened
According to NUAA's English news site, Lu struck a low shot from the left side of the penalty area to open the scoring in the 28th minute. Wuxi went on to win the final 2-1 and take the league title.
Getting there meant a demanding week. From Monday to Friday, Lu attends classes and studies in the library, then leaves for Nanjing South Railway Station in the late afternoon. A mix of metro, high-speed rail and taxi brings him to Wuxi at around 6:30 pm for 2 hours of training. He then travels back and often reaches his dormitory close to 11 pm. He made this journey 5 times a week.
"It is certainly tiring, but compared with my love for football, it is something I can accept," Lu said.
His story is part of a wider sports culture on campus. NUAA offers more than 30 specialised physical education courses, 38 sports clubs and 21 university teams. In 2025 alone, the university organised 62 campus-wide activities and more than 320 sporting events, with over 100,000 participants in total.
What this means for international students
International students at NUAA can join sports clubs and campus teams alongside Chinese classmates, which is one of the easiest ways to make friends and settle in. NUAA also teaches economics, management and accounting-related subjects as well as engineering. You can browse the full list of degree options on our programmes page.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Lu Zeling and what did he achieve?
Lu Zeling is a third-year accounting student at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He scored the opening goal for Wuxi in the 2026 Jiangsu Football City League final, which Wuxi won 2-1 against Changzhou. He also holds a 4.1 grade point average and has passed 6 ACCA examinations.
What sports can students play at NUAA?
NUAA offers more than 30 specialised physical education courses, 38 sports clubs and 21 university teams. In 2025 the university ran 62 campus-wide activities and more than 320 sporting events, with over 100,000 participants. Its football team recently finished 6th in the National University Five-a-Side Football League.
Can international students join sports clubs at NUAA?
Yes. Campus clubs and activities are part of everyday student life at NUAA, and international students take part alongside Chinese classmates. Joining a club is a practical way to meet people, practise Chinese and stay active. Ask the College of International Education about current clubs and teams after you arrive on campus.
Sources: NUAA English News, 5 November 2026
