China takes soccer to 3,000 kindergartens and keeps its eye on goal of World Cup glory by 2050
- Teachers and school coaches are being trained by Football Association staff
- Critic of scheme says some schools are going through motions
China is taking soccer into 3,000 kindergartens this year as part of efforts to inspire interest in “the beautiful game” among more children and continue laying the foundations for a World Cup winning team by 2050.
The Ministry of Education will pick kindergartens where soccer will, for the first time, be designated as a special activity, it said on Tuesday.
Two hundred kindergarten directors and 200 teachers are being trained this month by staff from the Football Association in England as the first batch of specialists for the programme, the ministry said.
Since 2015, China has nominated more than 24,000 “football-featured schools” as part of its ambitious blueprint and is now expanding the scheme to younger children.
President Xi Jinping said it was his dream for China to host the World Cup finals and win the title by 2050. China aims to have 50,000 football-featured schools by then.
The Chinese men’s national side has qualified for the World Cup finals once – in 2002 – and has yet to live up to the high hopes of fans.