CHINA: SOCCER - DESPITE A POOR RESULT IN FIRST EVER WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT THERE ARE PLANS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR CHILDREN NATIONWIDE

Record ID: 639542

  • Title: CHINA: SOCCER - DESPITE A POOR RESULT IN FIRST EVER WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT THERE ARE PLANS TO IMPROVE TRAINING FOR CHILDREN NATIONWIDE
  • Date: 22nd July 2002
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHILDREN FROM SANGAO SOCCER SCHOOL IN BEIJING PLAYING SOCCER CHILDREN PASSING THE BALL CHILDREN PLAYING SOCCER BOY RUNNING BOY SCRAMBLING FOR THE BALL (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) XIAO ZHAN, 14-YEARS OLD, SAYING "Playing soccer is fun. I feel very happy when I play." CHILDREN SITTING ON GROUND AND HAVING REST KIDS DOING RELAXATION EXERCISES (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) KUI CHEN, FOURTEEN, SAYING: "I hope I can continue studying here in this club through middle school. I will study hard in the next three years. I definitely want to join a professional team if I can." VARIOUS OF CHILDREN DOING EXERCISES CHILDREN HEADING THE BALL CHILDREN HEADING BALLS BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) SIGNING CEREMONY OF THE CHINA YOUTH FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT GRAHAM MORGAN, DIRECTOR OF SINO-NAVIGATOR SPORTS BUSINESS LTD SIGNING MORGAN SHAKING HANDS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GRAHAM MORGAN, DIRECTOR OF SINO-NAVIGATOR SPORTS BUSINESS LTD SAYING: "The Schools Football Initiative in China will be about giving boys and girls the best possible introduction to football, the best development opportunities, the chance to play regularly and then to develop whatever talents they have and take it as far as they possibly can." BEIJING, CHINA (FILE - JUNE 2002) (REUTERS) CHINESE SUPPORTERS WAVING CHINESE FLAGS DURING WORLD CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT IN SOUTH KOREA CHINESE FAN WITH FLAG ON HIS FACE BIG SCREEN SHOWING SOCCER MATCH AND CHINESE FANS WATCHING MAN YELLING PEOPLE WATCHING MATCH GAME FROM BIG SCREEN BEIJING, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WAN JINQING, VICE CHAIRMAN OF CHINA SOCCER ASSOCIATION, SAYING: "We've noticed that we were far behind other teams when we were playing in the World Cup. There is a huge amount of work that needs to be done. We need to train kids from their childhood." KUNMING, YUNNAN PROVINCE, CHINA (FILE) (REUTERS) CHINA NATIONAL SOCCER COACH BORA MILUTINOVIC TRAINING PLAYERS CHINESE SOCCER PLAYERS BEING TRAINED MORE TRAINING SESSION PLAYERS JOKING WITH MILUTINOVIC AND WRESTLING HIM TO GROUND FANS WATCHING FANS WATCHING THROUGH GRILL Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th August 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAVJQ483X8IZ3KE5P8DOAP5U6D
  • Story Text: China's first ever World Cup experience in South Korea was a bruising one. The team went out of the competition after the first round without scoring a goal - but now plans are being hatched to ensure that come the next World Cup, China will be able to hold its head high.
    China may be a giant on the world stage, but in soccer terms, it's a minnow.
    Although China made it to the World Cup for the first time ever this year, its performance in the tournament was disappointing, the team failing to score even a single goal.
    But that hasn't dampened enthusiasm at home for the "beautiful game". Now there are plans in China to improve soccer training for children, in the hope of one day creating a Chinese generation of Rivaldos, Ronaldos and Ronaldinhos.
    At Sangao soccer school in Beijing, 200 boys aged between 6 and 18 spend every minute of their day devoted to soccer.
    For them, soccer is all about fun, a legacy of much-loved former national coach Bora Milutinovic who promoted the concept of "Happy Soccer".
    "Playing soccer is fun. I feel very happy when I play,"
    said Xiao Zhan (pron: Hsiao Zhan), a 14-year-old who joined the soccer school four years ago.
    But in the wake of this year's World Cup, China has decided it's time to get serious about soccer - and more and more young soccer players are now dreaming of a professional future in football.
    "I hope I can continue studying here in this club through middle school. I will study hard in the next three years. I definitely want to join a professional team if I can," said 14-year-old Kui Chen (pron: Kway Chen).
    Despite its third division soccer skills, China has a huge army of soccer fans. And now foreign companies are hoping to cash in by helping China develop its footballing prowess.
    U.K.-based Sino-Navigator Sports Business Limited Company recently signed an agreement with a Chinese youth group to boost soccer training in schools.
    "The Schools Football Initiative in China will be about giving boys and girls the best possible introduction to football, the best development opportunities, the chance to play regularly and then to develop whatever talents they have and take it as far as they possibly can," said Graham Morgan, director of Sino Navigator Sports Business Limited.
    The project will include setting up new training facilities - and selecting elite players from primary and high schools across China. The cream of the crop will even be offered study scholarships in the U.K.
    The hope is that at the next World Cup, China will be able to stand proud - and who knows, become the next giant killer of the tournament.
    Wan Jinqing, vice chairman of the Chinese Soccer Association, said this year's World Cup was not just about losing.
    "We noticed that we were far behind other teams when we were playing in the World Cup. There is a huge amount of work that needs to be done. We need to train kids from their childhood."
    While some have touted the world's most populous nation as a rising soccer power, it is clear from their World Cup performance that there's a long road ahead. But with the biggest fan base in the world, China has decided its time to give its soccer fans something to cheer about.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register