China FIFA
Optimism abounds in Beijing
15 March 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com
The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy went on display at Beijing University on Wednesday,
attracting close to 10,000 visitors from across the Chinese capital.
The early-morning scene outside the university recalled the long queues of the
early 1970s when food and household goods were often scarce. Before the doors
opened at ten o'clock, hundreds of fans had formed a line that zigzagged across
the courtyard, with more visitors still pouring into the campus.
The Trophy Tour has been headline news in China and with the memory of China's
first ever FIFA World Cup finals appearance still fresh in mind, the Cup's
presence has not only had fans looking forward to Germany 2006 but also
recalling the previous edition in Korea/Japan four years ago.
Read about the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour
"We had a memorable time in 2001 when China booked their first-ever place at the
World Cup finals," recalled Zhao Songtian, a middle-aged computer engineer. "I
just couldn't help shedding a tear when the team defeated Oman 1-0 to qualify."
Those Chinese football fans lucky enough to see the Trophy now have another
memory to cherish. Kong Lingyu, a 26-year-old conservation student from Beijing
University, described it as a "dream come true".
"For me, it seems like it was only yesterday that I watched Didier Deschamps
lift the Trophy at France 98. That sparked my interest in football and the
Trophy has become this dream object in my mind. So you can imagine how excited I
am now my dream has come true," he said, proudly displaying a photo of himself
with the Trophy.
On the second floor of the exhibition hall, where the Trophy was being viewed,
there was a display titled 'Honour and Dreams' looking back over the last 50
years since China entered their first FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in
1956. This slice of football history provided a ready discussion point among the
visitors.
One young girl asked: "When will our national team be able to lift the Trophy?
How long will we have to wait? Twenty years? Half a century?" A teenager
replied: "It won't be long - don't you see nearly half of the visitors today are
females? Don't forget we have a world-class women's team so probably next year
you'll see them lift the Women's World Cup on home soil."
His comment raised a few laughs from the people around him but it contained an
indisputable truth (China will be hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2007 and
have a strong team). The teenager, Chen Fei, a first-year student from the
People's University, added: "What I mean is no matter which team are successful,
be it our youth team, senior team or women's team, it will provide an immense
boost to the country's football in general."
Football in China is certainly looking for a lift but there remains plenty of
optimism as Nan Yong, vice-president of the Chinese Football Association, said
when discussing the future at a press conference 24 hours earlier. "It is a fact
that we have suffered upsets including missing out on Germany 2006. But despite
all the difficulties I believe we will be able to lift the Trophy one day as
long as we keep working hard," he said.
"The arrival of the Trophy, I hope, will bring us extra luck with our qualifying
campaign for South Africa 2010," added China youth coach and former
international striker Jia Xiuquan. A sentiment doubtless echoed in the minds of
many other Chinese in Beijing this week.
Future bright for China
14 March 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com
There could have been no more fitting a place for Beijing to stage its grand
welcome of the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy on Tuesday than the China Millennium
Monument.
The monument, built in the west of the capital in 2000 to mark the arrival of
the new millennium, was one of the places where people congregated to celebrate
Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games on the memorable night
of 13 July 2001 – among them the former president Jiang Zemin.
Some five years on and people flocked here again for another big sporting moment
- the first visit to China of the authentic FIFA World Cup Trophy. "This is just
the ideal place to stage the welcome to this iconic Trophy," said Coca-Cola
China vice-president Brenda Lee.
For China national youth team coach Jia Xiuquan, one of the football luminaries
present, the stopover in Beijing was a timely boost to football in the country
after their national team missed out on the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in
Germany.
Read about the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour
"With the Trophy coming here, excitement about the new season is running high,"
the former Chinese international striker said. "In the opening round of the new
season last weekend, we saw the stadiums close to full and a lot of closely
fought matches, something to suggest a fruitful year in front of us. The visit
of the Trophy will unquestionably encourage our players to work harder to reach
their goal of going back to the World Cup."
The real thing
The authenticity of the Trophy caused great excitement among members of the
audience, many of whom remembered the FIFA World Cup being displayed here on the
eve of France 98. Then it was a replica and FIFA spokesman Emmanuel Maradas
confirmed that this was the first time the real Trophy had been displayed in
China.
"This is the one that the Brazil team won in Yokohama four years ago and the one
that the winning team will lift in Berlin on 9 July this year. It is a
once-in-a-lifetime chance for any football lovers to see the crown of football
within touching distance."
Huang Bowen, a China U19 defender, joined the large crowd queuing to view the
Cup and have their photo taken with it. "As a little boy I watched the French
team lift the Trophy after defeating Brazil in the Final at France 98. I can't
believe I'm so close to it now."
As the Trophy was unveiled amid a flurry of flashbulbs and applause, Jia Xiuquan
– whose playing days were back in the 1980s - recalled with a touch of regret:
"I played in two qualifying competitions for the World Cup finals but we failed
to make it on both occasions. I did play in the Asian Cup and Olympic football
tournament so the World Cup was the one I missed out on."
If that was yesterday the China Football Association is looking to tomorrow and
its vice-president Nan Yong said at the press conference: "We worked hard for
fully 50 years to get to the FIFA World Cup. Our efforts were rewarded when we
booked our first-ever finals place at Korea/Japan 2002 but despite that
breakthrough, we still have our work cut out as we are far behind the world
powers."
Football journalist Fang Zhao spoke hopefully of the future when noting that the
fact China had been chosen as one of the 29 countries on the Trophy Tour showed
that FIFA recognised its huge potential. "We have arguably the world's largest
group of football fans and consequently the biggest market so it won't be long
before we develop enough to reach the top level."
Explaining FIFA's decision to include Beijing on the tour's itinerary, Emmanuel
Maradas said: "We put Beijing on the list because China has made a huge
contribution to football development as a FIFA member. In 1985 China hosted the
inaugural FIFA U17 World Championship which was won by Nigeria. Its potential
can't be underestimated as China is the world's most populous country and is in
the process of rapid change in all areas."
Youngster Huang Bowen is hopeful that the development of Chinese football will
only accelerate, and earned himself one of the biggest cheers of the day when he
said: "I hope one day I can again be with the Trophy - but next time by winning
it."
