- President wants China’s provinces to develop world-class talent from early age
- Game’s national governing body revealed plans for 10,000 kindergartens
Li Jianli, director of a kindergarten in the Chinese capital, told the Global Times: “We have soccer coaching for kids who are over five and many other kindergartens in Beijing run soccer programmes, too.”
In October, the Chinese Football Association announced plans for 10,000 kindergartens across the country.
Football-fan president Xi has expressed ambitions for China’s Dragons to qualify for, host and win the World Cup.
Chinese Football Association wants naturalised players to have ‘patriotic feelings’ and learn about the party
So far, China has qualified for the World Cup only once, in 2002, when the team failed to win a point or score a goal.
China languishes at 72nd in the Fifa world rankings, between North Macedonia and El Salvador, and have lost their last three matches on the trot.
The government is dedicating resources to grass roots football, but a study recently revealed how the game was awash at the lower levels with unqualified coaches.
CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 
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