Soccer coaches from China who came to Bournemouth for three months in 2016 for the Bournemouth University Football Study Program pose for a picture with Bournemouth faculty members in Beijing on May 18, 2017. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)
China's Capital University of Physical Education and Sports (CUPES) and Bournemouth University (BU) of the UK shared ideas on sports-related issues in Beijing on May 18, as part of the Bournemouth's Global Festival of Learning program.
During the one-day event, sports experts and players from the two countries shared views on topics such as the overall sports development in China and the status of women athletes in China and the UK, followed by a panel discussion of Chinese soccer development in the afternoon.
"Instead of sports and leisure, Chinese sports practitioners used to focus more on competitions and medals in the past," said Zhong Bingshu, president of CUPES. "But we are very glad to see improvements have been made since the start of sports reform in 2014."
Soccer reform, at the core of sports reform, is also a breakthrough point of physical education reform.
"A series of policies boosting the sports industry, especially the soccer industry and campus soccer indicates a golden decade of Chinese soccer industry," said Xue Yanqing, vice chairman of the Federation of University Sport of China (FUSC).
All provinces and cities nationwide have increased funds in campus soccer activities with league competition developing fast for high-level, ordinary and vocational student teams.
"A total of 1,258 teams have played in the 2015-16 FUSC season with 25,160 players participating. On average, each province has 39.3 teams engaged in the season, up 137.8 percent year-on-year," Xue said.
New media also plays a very important role in the sports industry, especially in promoting soccer games, said Xue. The publishing of short videos, including highlights, sidelights, and one-minute videos, grew 230 percent to 1,000 clips during the season. The 2015-16 FUSC season also live streamed 651 times on 10 online platforms, with 20 million total clicks, added the chairman.
"In China, soccer is not as popular as other sports for women in schools and universities," said Dong Jinxia, director of the Research Office of the Department of Physical Education, Beijing University. "Due to the shortage of young talent, Chinese women soccer teams have declined continuously in the new century, but the situation has improved in recent years."
Thirteen young soccer players, including girl players, from local primary schools of Northwest China's Gansu province visited the UK in December last year for a 15-day training course at the Arsenal Football Club. Campus soccer teams are widely open to girl players now.
China and the UK witnessed a number of exchanges and communications during the past year.
Under the framework of the High-Level People-to-People dialogue, supported by FUSC and the British Council, sixty soccer coaches from China visited BU last summer and engaged in a three-month communication event and learned about new concepts involving aspects like culture and society. The event utilized expertise exchanges with the legendary AFC Bournemouth led by Chairman Jeff Mostyn. Now the coaches are helping spread the knowledge and concepts they learned at BU in China.
Sonal Minocha, pro vice-chancellor of Global Engagement, Bournemouth University, said the summer event last year is an example of BU's commitment to China's vision of injecting $815 million into the sports industry by 2025.
"As the only university that signed a MOU with the FUSC, BU is set to make the project a lifelong partnership," added Minocha.
