A soccer training base for teenagers has been set up in Central China's Henan Province with the purpose of helping Chinese soccer development with the famous martial art, or Kung Fu.
The soccer training base was built jointly by local government and Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School which is located only kilometers away from the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City of Henan Province, the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu.
"To set up this soccer training base is a bold try to bring Shaolin Kung Fu into soccer to deepen soccer reform and to create a new brand of 'Shaolin soccer', because Henan is the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu and we have made much research for that", said Zhang Wenshen, director of the Sports Bureau of Henan province.
Two classes with 100 teenagers has been set up, 50 boys and 50 girls, and government sent three experienced coaches to the base. Football training, martial arts practice and general knowledge courses will occupy these teenagers' time.
"It's just the beginning, more children will start to play football and I believe it will foster some soccer talents", said Liu Haike, vice-president of Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School which has 35,000 students from all over the world.
