Opinion | How China’s ‘Steel Roses’ can return to Olympic soccer glory

Name: Can China use genetics to choose its athletes for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing?
Uploaded: 2021-08-10T01:15:10.000Z
Duration: 2 min 17 s
Description: Can China use genetics to choose its athletes for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing?

The rise of women’s football elsewhere, growth in Western-style sponsorship and lack of interest from the public and authorities have eroded China’s standing

Broad-based efforts including from parents, grass-roots groups, the government, private firms and the public are needed to restore China to global prominence

Reading Time:4 minutes

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Brazil’s Beatriz scores against China during their Group F match at Miyagi Stadium in Miyagi, Japan, on July 21. Photo: Reuters

Lijia Zhang

Published: 9:15am, 10 Aug 2021Updated: 9:15am, 10 Aug 2021

The Chinese women’s football team, nicknamed the “Steel Roses”, was eliminated from the Tokyo Olympics after a disastrous 8-2 defeat against the Netherlands. Under immense pressure, head coach Jia Xiuquan resigned. Perhaps he could have chosen different tactics or made a better team selection, but he should not take all the blame.

The team performed miserably. In the three games they played, they conceded a record 17 goals. Instead of pointing fingers at the coach or the players, it is time to look at the fundamental problems that led to this humiliation.

Established in 1986, the team used to be one of the best in the world, with many glories in their locker. They have won the AFC Women’s Asian Cup eight times, and they narrowly lost to the US in the 1996 Olympics final, by a single goal.

In the past decade, however, they have sadly gone downhill. The rise of women’s football in other parts of the world, the acceleration of Western-style sponsorship, lack of interest from the public and inattention from the authorities have all played a role.

To start with, China has shockingly few female football players, especially in light of its population of 1.4 billion. There are only 6,000 to 7,000 registered members above the age of 12, according to the Chinese Football Association, though the actual number is likely to be several times more. In the United States, there are almost 1.7 million registered female players.

02:17

Can China use genetics to choose its athletes for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing?

China’s small number of players is the result of its historical elite approach to sports, with the emphasis on winning medals rather than a grass-roots approach.

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