Youth development is key to China's football revival

For years Chinese football fans have sufferedthe pain and embarrassment of watching their men's national side fail consistently at the international level, posting abysmally low rankings worldwide. According to FIFA statistics, in July the team ranked 100th out of the 209 national teams playing globally.

"It's really a shame that in China, with a population of more than 1.3 billion, we cannot find 11 people that can do a good job in playing football," Chen Wanyuan, an advocate for spreading football culture in China, toldChinAfrica.

Chen, 62, has been engaged in football for nearly 50 years, first in north China's Shanxi Province and then in Beijing. Now, he works for Yinchao Football Club, a training club for children inBeijing. According to Chen, the blame for the dismal showing of the national side should be placed squarely at the door of the China Football Association, the top football administration authority in in the country.

"It [China Football Association] is shortsighted as it focuses its attention on the national football team only for quick success, but usually gets the results that run counter to its wishes," said Chen.

 Focus on the problem

The facts back up Chen's claim. Since the first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930, the Chinese team has qualified only once - at the 2002 event jointly held in neighboringJapanandSouth Korea.

Chen said only by the China Football Association looking ahead and focusing more of its efforts on training and attracting youngsters to the game, can they ensure a national team that performs.

Chen played football on behalf ofBeijingwhen he was in primary and junior middle schools. "I played football when I was a boy, and I personally know that childhood is a very important period for football players to lay a solid foundation," said Chen. During the years he worked in Shanxi Province, he taught children playing football when ever he had time. 

In 1990, he came back toBeijingand worked first in the Sport Commission of Tongzhou District and later in the China Football Association, where he was in charge of youth football. Two years ago, he retired, but he continued his work as a coach training young footballers.

"Chinacan never achieve success in its national football team without popularizing football among children," said Chen. "Though the China Football Association realizes the problem, no one in the association ever does the work in a down-to-the-earth manner."

 Youth development lacking

Insufficient exposure to football when young has a direct corelation to low-level football proficiency among adults. "We cannot find enough children who are interested in playing football; we cannot find sufficient football pitches for them; and schools focus too much on children's study and ignore their physical development," said Chen.

According to a survey conducted in 18 primary schools in Haidian District by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports in May, only four of the schools have standard football pitches; and only three have football courses in their curricula.

"The schools should free students from their heavy homework so that they can go out and play football. Otherwise,China's football can never develop," said Chen.

At the 27th Universiade held inKazan,Russiafrom July 6 to 17, the Chinese football team, consisting mainly of student players from Beijing Institute of Technology, drew withMexicoandIreland, and was defeated byRussia, returning without a win in the group matches.

"The Beijing Institute of Technology has one of the best football teams of the universities inChina. But it still had no win in the Universiade. You can see [from this] the level of Chinese football in the world," said Chen.

Positive moves

Actually,Chinahas done a lot of work in recent years to promote football on school campuses. Starting in 2009,China's General Administration of Sport earmarked 40 million yuan ($6.54 million) annually from sport lottery funds to promote football on campus nationwide. This year, the figure increased to 56 million yuan ($9.15 million). Local governments are also required to contribute the same amount.

In 1984,Chinalaunched the Baidui Cup football matches among youth inBeijing, an initiative Chen said is a very good model to popularize youth football.

"But only this one [initiative] inBeijingis definitely not enough. We need more," he said. "Actually,Chinahas many good models in developing its football, such as the Jianlibao Football Team. But we failed to go further."

In 1992, the China Football Association and Guangdong Jianlibao Co. Ltd. selected 22 youngsters of 13-14 years old and sent them toBrazilfor a seven-year training. This was widely considered as a bold attempt, and also built up much hope in the Chinese people that their football dreams would come true. But soon after they returned in 1998, the China Football Association could not make use of these players as they were still contracted to their previous football clubs before going toBrazil. This meant they were therefore not eligible to play for the Jianlibao Football Team rendering the project a non-starter.

"The China Football Association should find solutions to continue the Jianlibao model," said Chen, adding that they should pursue and adhere to a long-term plan and stop chopping and changing what they do.

"If you have a dream, you should do your best to pursue the dream," said Chen.

Chen's dream

Though Chen is not satisfied with the work of the China Football Association, he is delighted to see many football clubs training youngsters, like Yinchao, springing up nationwide.

"These clubs can help arouse children's interest in playing football and they have professional coaches," said Chen. Besides Yinchao, he is also employed by several football clubs as a coach.

Talking about his students clearly makes Chen happy. "Many of my [former] students are working in football administration authorities and the China Football Association, and many others are very good football players," said Chen. A string of players such as Wang Xiaolong and Zhang Xinxin, all of whom are key players inChina's Super League teams, were coached by Chen.

"Most importantly, coaches at youth football clubs should be professional, otherwise the children would be misled," said Chen.

In appointing these professional coaches, Chen emphasized that a good football player is not necessarily a good football coach. "So, the authority should examine every coach's qualifications and grant certificates only to those who are qualified," said Chen, who has gained an A-level certificate, the highest coaching level inChina.

"Teaching more youth football courses is my dream and I will pursue my dream throughout my life," said Chen.