An interesting Xinhua report looks at football development in Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou and Qingdao, four of the five designated “Football Development Test Cities” program (the other is Wuhan) initiated in December 2012 by the CFA.

In Chengdu’s case, Gu Jianming, party secretary of the city’s football association, said the govt will set up “development funds” and “make district governments responsible for pitch planning and construction.” By 2015, the city plans to “add 120 new pitches and raise 10 mln rmb each year to develop the sport.”

I had the pleasure of living in Chengdu’s Jinniu district in the past year, and played football on a semi-regular basis. There are new indoor places sprouting up organically like the No.66 Football Factory near Changyi Rd in Wuhou district, but there’s surely a need for grounds elsewhere. But I’d appreciate if the government come up with a plan to utilize the playgrounds at schools before construct more.

But overall, my problem with the city is not so much in infrastructure, but the air we breathe. While the media attention is on Beijing and Shanghai most of the time, air quality in Chengdu just gets worse every year. In the latest Annual Report of Environment Development in China compiled by Friends of Nature, a Beijing-based NGO, Chengdu was listed fourth in the most polluted cities ranking.

In the last ten years, Chengdu has been at the forefront of China’s urbanization. With a population of over 14 mln, according to the official account, the city now has more than 3 mln registered automobiles, second only to Beijing. But worse than in the capital, discussions on environment issues are constantly silenced on microblogs and seldom discussed in local media.

In a recent interview with Sport Illustrated China, Xi Shan, a Chengdu-based writer and former journalist, said he was “summoned to local public security bureau for three times and invited to ‘drink tea‘ with security officers” for his online statement against the city’s perennial construction.

“The city government consider citizens’ environmental concerns a disruption of social order,” said the 43-year-old. “They don’t have any respect for voices from the grassroots.”

Xi Shan and his colleagues’ concern doesn’t end with Chengdu’s common scene of demolition and construction, which he considered one of the main reasons of its air pollution.

“Things could get a lot worse once the petrochemical plant has its way,” said Xi Shan, referring to a multibillion dollar project backed by PetroChina.

Hundreds of Chengdu residents took to the streets in 2008 to protest against the plant’s construction in Pengzhou, about 40 kms from the city center. The project was put on hold by the earthquake in Wenchuan in 2008, but with the construction now finished, the plant could start operating at any day.

The city government are taking every measure to make sure it goes smoothly. On Monday, a netizen was taken away to local public security bureau for hours for speaking against the project online. Some microbloggers said there has been community officers asking whether they would “take a walk” because of the project.

“We are considering leaving the city that we dwelled for nearly 20 years,” said Xi Shan, “If the plant becomes ‘a done deal’, we have our feet and can go.”

Photo: China Digital Times

Related:

• Danwei: NIMBY protest hits Chengdu
• Chengdu Living: How To Handle Chengdu’s Pollution Like a Pro
• The New York Times: In China City, Protesters See Pollution Risk of New Plant

Zou celebrates first win as pro in Macao

All of the hype for two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming’s professional debut was finally put out of the way on late night Saturday as the flyweight boxer recorded his first victory over Mexico’s Eleazar Valenzuela in a four-round match in the special administrative region of Macao.

The 31-year-old Zou, who is signed to Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing promotion, was the centerpiece on a night when his fight was broadcast on nearly every sports channel throughout China. Zou did not disappoint as he overwhelmed his opponent with a series of combinations and power punches as he looked to also score his first knockout.

Despite Zou’s failure in knocking out Valenzuela, he walked away with a comfortable unanimous decision to bring some joy to the spectators on hand.

While the much heralded former amateur champion showed a great display offensively, he has got to learn to protect himself as on a few occasions he would have his hands down, leaving himself open to take punishment from the valiant Valenzuela. Any potential opponents in the future will take notice of that and will certainly use it to their advantage.

However, it was a good debut for Zou who will be looking to improve on his performance in his upcoming bouts which will hopefully put him on track for a title shot.

Photo: OSports

Previously: Zou Shiming and Pro Boxing in China

Additional Articles:

• ESPN – Zou Shiming wins pro debut
• ESPN – Five things from Saturday’s Macao card
• ESPN – Zou holds key to boxing in China
• The South China Morning Post – Legendary trainer Roach backs Zou to become world champion
• Boxing Scene – Shiming, Roach, Arum pleased with first Macao outing

Liang Daoxing (middle) inspects a stadium in construction for the Universiad

Liang Daoxing (梁道行), former mayor of Shenzhen, was expelled from China’s communist party for “disciplinary violations and suspected of crimes”, according to the party disciplinary authorities in Guangdong. Liang’s downfall was linked with graft in 2011 Shenzhen Summer Universiad(深圳大学生运动会).

“Grand-scale sports games are becoming a hotbed of corruption,” Xinhua wrote in a commentary. “Decision-makers in some cities are keen in hosting the so-called ‘face projects’ sports games to line their own pockets. It’s time to put strict limits on those games.”

According to Shenzhen’s Audit Bureau, the municipality invested rmb 13.99 bln, or $2.26 bln, in the Universiad, while the total income was rmb 1.21 bln, or $ 200 mln.

Liang was accused of taking bribes to curry favor with others when he was serving as the vice president of the Universiade’s executive board and director general of the games’ executive office.

Ye Qian, deputy chief of Shenzhen’s Bureau of Public Works, was also on suspicion of graft. The bureau undertook the construction work of 13 of 22 sports venues newly-built for the University Games.

Many sports venues were left unattended after the games and Shenzhen Baoan Sports Center, whose maintenance costs tens of millions a year, now fully relies on government subsidies.

“The numbers on the books may be only a tip of an iceberg,” Xinhua commented. “Many municipal construction projects were not listed in the audit papers. “It remains in doubt whether they can stand the test.”

Photo: Southcn.com

Related:

• The SCMP: Details emerge in graft investigation into former Shenzhen vice-mayor
• The China Daily: Fifth Guangdong official investigated
• China News: Audit results of the Shenzhen Universiad (in Chinese)

Beckham receives gift from Wei Jixiang, party secretary at the Football Admin Center of the Chinese Sports Bureau

A busy week began for David Beckham, who was recently appointed as Chinese football’s first-ever ambassador, at an elementary school yesterday in Beijing. The former England captain received gifts from schoolgirls, learned to write his nickname in Chinese calligraphy, and talked to media at a press conference in the school auditorium that was aired live on CCTV, the national broadcaster.

When asked what he can do to help Chinese football, which has a long reputation for match-fixing and corruption, the ambassador confirmed that he is not a politician, and has nothing to do with anything gone in the past. “What is going on in the future will have something to do with me,” said Mr.Beckham.

Though unclear how, that something is about inspiring the grassroots to take interest in the sport in the coming three years in his contract and promote the Chinese Super League, a league that the ambassador has never set foot in or even watched.

The scandals in Chinese football not only led to officials and players being banned or jailed, but also made many fans lose faith in the sport. Compounded by China’s one child policy, parents no longer wanted their kids to play in football like in the 1990s, when being a pro football player suddenly became a chic profession, with good pay and media celebrity.

Earlier this week, my colleague told me about the time he spent with two retired football players recently, which said a lot about the way Chinese urbanites see the sport.

Born in the late 1970s, the first player was once a promising winger in the Chinese setup, spent a majority of his time at Beijing Guoan and retired very early at 29. He now commentates on Guoan games at the weekends. He and his wife has a kid, who’s interested football but was never allowed to play. My wife would never want our kid to play football, the player said, she thinks it’s mei chuxi, or “not promising”. Instead, the couple encouraged their child to play tennis, and by doing that, they built him a clay court, which you very rarely see in Beijing.

The second player is a few years older than the first. Spent time at two big clubs in the north and once a national team player, he now has successfully rebranded himself as a football commentator, musing on Chinese league and Spanish La Liga on match days. He, too, doesn’t want his son to play in the sport. My son runs faster than other kids and, with my guanxi, it’d be easy for him to train in any club in China, said the player. But together with his wife, they consider football a profession without a future.

I was taken aback by the way the two veterans looked at the sport they loved and played, even with the knowledge that Chinese football is problematic and can be ridiculous sometimes. The truth is, the past that Mr.Beckham is not involved actually shapes and speaks about the future. If the score of the past is not settled, who knows what will come next?

Last month, the CFA announced that twelve football clubs, including Tianjin, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Shanghai in the top flight, were found out to have fixed matches in the past. The punishment? Some clubs were fined from 500,000 to 1 million rmb and deducted 3-6 points this season for bribing football officials and referees. Others were mostly exonerated, because the clubs either no longer existed or were changed hands. Not a team was relegated and it’s unclear how many were arrested for their wrongdoings.

If the decision sent a message, it’s rather an unclear one to football practitioners in China, that the consequences of achieving results by bribery was unjust, but affordable. Besides the clubs, this message was also delivered to the future that the two veterans wanted their kids to avoid and Mr.Beckham is going to be a part of.

Photo: Sina

Zou Shiming signed by Top Rank

It’s been discussed for very long that whether Zou Shiming, China’s two time Olympics gold medalist, would pursue a career in professional boxing. The talks floated first after the Beijing Olympics and, again, after Mr.Zou successfully defended his gold medal in light flyweight last summer in London.

The news came out earlier this week that Zou is signed by Top Rank, a Las Vegas-based boxing promotion firm, and is preparing for his first pro fight this April in Macao.

In the Qilu Evening News, a Jian-based newspaper, Mr.Zou was then compared to Li Na, the first Chinese tennis player to win a Grand Slam in singles.

“The Chinese sports system may look old-fashioned, but should be given credit for treating [some] Olympic heroes,” the article commented, though some Chinese Olympians may disagree with this conclusion.

Tennis and boxing are tremendously different in popularity and media exposure in China. Thanks to the success of Li Na and a rise in consumption capacity of China’s emerging middle class, business of tennis clubs shot up quickly in recent years and is expected to continue so. But boxing is another story. Despite the accomplishments of Mr.Zou and his colleagues, it is still considered rough and brutal by most Chinese.

Last November, Xiong Chaozhong, a professional boxer from Yunnan and an ethnic Miao same as Zou Shiming, made history in becoming the first Chinese to win a world title. Liu Gang, the promoter of Xiong and owner of Zovi Boxing in Kunming, Yunnan Province, said it’s very hard for pro boxers to sustain themselves in China due mainly to a lack of competitions.

Xiong Chaozhong, the first Chinese boxer to win a world title

Born in 1972, Mr.Liu was among the first group of amateur boxers trained in the national team when the country re-embraced the sport in 1986, after nearly thirty years of ban because of the sport’s “bourgeois element” and, probably, two fatal incidents.

Liu’s career as an amateur boxer culminated when he won silver in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games. After the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Liu emigrated to Australia to pursue his dreams in professional boxing. The new environment was tough, but the Sichuanese ate bitter and thrived. In 2003, Liu sold his house and returned to China to found Zovi, training boxers and organizing fights at the same time.

“But after so many years as a promoter and organizer, I still have no clue who should talk with to get an event sanctioned,” confessed Liu, who found the situation “very ironic.”

To get an approval for a match in China’s mainland, an organizer needs to register the event at a police bureau, as the Chinese government impose tight restrictions on freedom of assembly. But before that, he is supposed to get a permit from a sports bureau, and that’s where the difficulty lies.

The Boxing and Taekwondo Administrative Center (BTAC), top governing body of boxing in the country, is responsible solely for producing Olympic champions, not promoting pro boxing. They are not fans of pro boxing either. Last year, a WBO event in Tianjin was called off by the BTAC after over two years of running, making a stand of their determination not to favor any pro event.

The sports official feared that the event would make them look bad in front of International Boxing Association (AIBA), an organization governing the sport in the Olympics, and under which the BTAC manifested themselves as the “Chinese Boxing Federation.” The AIBA is set to host its own pro boxing matches this year, and the Chinese sports leaders are unsure about the idea to be implemented in China.

To make things work, organizers either get direct approval from a city government (like the WBO events propped by Zhang Gaoli, the former Tianjin Party boss), or pay a huge sum to local sports bureau only to get their project stamped, usually packaged as a quanji biaoyansai or “boxing performance show.”

“I think the resistance comes from the fact that our country hasn’t kicked off pro boxing officially,” said Zhang Tao, chairman of WBO China, who maintained that a better solution for organizers now is to work with local governments.”

“We too can train Olympic boxers to win glories for the country in the Olympics and we don’t spend a penny of tax payers’ money,” said Liu Gang. “I just hope they mean it when talking about ‘lifting the sports industry’ and make less trouble for us.”

Until now, it’s doubtful that Zou Shiming’s decision will help change the situation of pro boxing in China, but his presence will definitely make the game more popular.

What does the 2013 WTA Tour have in store for China’s top tennis player?

With the new year in its infancy comes another season of action on the world’s tennis courts, and this year it seems there will be an exciting one ahead for fans of the sport.

The 2013 Women’s Tennis Association Tour (WTA) could be a wide open competition this year as there does not seem to be one player who will be dominant in the field. Of course the usual suspects such as Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska will most certainly be attempting to claim as many of the majors as well as finish atop of the rankings by the end of the season.

Another of those contenders is none other than China’s number one player Li Na.

Since claiming the 2011 French Open women’s singles title, her rise in the tennis world has been nothing short of meteoric. With winning her first major, there has been added pressure from fans and much more scrutiny from the media about her performances.

However, the following tour season was not too kind to the 30-year-old as Li came up short on several occasions to add on to the number of career titles she has won and even crashed out of a few tournaments in the early rounds. All of this could have pointed towards a decline in her game and raised questions about when she planned on retiring.

With the hiring of coach Carlos Rodriguez, who worked with former tennis start Justine Henin, the world number six seemed to regain her form in the latter part of the season that saw her make the finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, win her only title at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati and qualify for the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul.

Off to a good start in 2013. Li Na claimed the inaugural Shenzhen Open title.

And the Wuhan native has carried this form into 2013 as she won the inaugural Shenzhen Open and followed that up with a semifinal run at the Apia International Sydney in Australia, losing to top seed Radwanska.

Li, without a doubt, has credited Rodriguez for helping her to refocus and bring her game back to level she knows she can play at.

From Xinhua:

After Carlos came to my team, the change was unbelievable. I was happy to have him because I think he is a positive person and gives a lot of positive things for all the team. He makes me train a little bit for strength in the mind, not only for tennis.

As the Australian Open starts up on January 14, Li will certainly be considered one of the favorites to lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. She has had strong runs in previous editions of the tournament, where she reached the final in 2011, losing out to Belgian Kim Clijsters.

This season seems it will be a promising on for Li Na. She has always had a strong start at the beginning, but the big question will be whether she can maintain that form as the season progresses into the spring and summer months.

If she can do this, this could be one of the most successful in the illustrious career of China’s tennis legend.

Photos  - Reuters

Additional Articles

• CNN – Tennis to land in Li Na’s hometown
• Yahoo! – Li targets another first in Melbourne
• ESPN Star – Li Na hails new coach
• 10sBalls – Li Getting Along With New Coach Rodriguez

DC United striker Tan Long is looking to be one of the top footballers in Major League Soccer

The past several years has seen an influx of footballers from East Asia gracing the pitches of European leagues. From England’s Premier League to Germany’s Bundesliga, East Asian footballers have been impressing fans with their performances which have led some clubs to success.

One of the most well-known footballers from the region is former South Korean international Park Ji-sung who started his European tour with Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven. After winning a few titles with the Dutch side, he made a historic move to English Premier League side Manchester United. A few Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy later, he is recognized as the most decorated player from the Asian continent.

Now at Queen’s Park Rangers in London, the 31-year-old is not only the captain, but also a highly respected player amongst his peers.

The performances of Park, Lee Young-pyo and a host of players currently with European clubs has proven that players from the Asian continent are just as capable of contributing to the success of their respective teams on the pitch than just being a marketing tool off it.

However, when looking at the number of players heading abroad, one group that is missing are Chinese footballers. Since the national team’s only appearance at the 2002 World Cup, only a handful of players from the country have made the move abroad to challenge themselves in other leagues.

Fan Zhiyi, Sun Jihai, Shao Jiayi, Li Tie and Yang Chen are just a few who have tried their luck outside of China with various levels of success. However, since Shao’s return to Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan this season there has not been much activity.

Chen Zhizhao’s move to Brazilian side Corinthians made news throughout China, but he has played sparingly for the club during his loan spell.

Then there is the story of Tan Long (谭龙). The Dalian native has taken a route that no other footballer in the country has attempted. He has taken his talents to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

In a league that features world-renowned players such as Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, Tim Cahill and former England captain David Beckham, Tan has flown under the radar as he tries to make an impact in the fledgling league.

Currently at Eastern Conference side DC United, Tan is the first Chinese-born footballer to play in America’s top league. Despite this achievement, Tan downplays it. “I don’t think I’ve made history. I’ve never thought about creating history, but just playing football well,” Tan told China Sports Review.

Relocating to the United States after a stint with Chinese Yi League side Shanghai Pudong Zobon FC, Long started his football odyssey in the country in the USL Premier Development League with the Atlanta Blackhawks, scoring seven goals in 12 matches.

That success earned him a move up to the North American Soccer League (the second division) as he signed with FC Tampa Bay (now the Tampa Bay Rowdies) in 2010. After 25 appearances with the Florida based club, the 24-year-old made the move to North America’s top league (MLS) when he signed a contract with expansion Canadian side the Vancouver Whitecaps on March 11, 2011.

For Long, reaching America’s top flight in such a rapid time was like a dream. “I experienced some unforgettable things when I was in Canada. It’s my first time to play football in America’s top football league by which I learned many things and experienced some things I will never forget,” he said.

On March 26 he would go on to make history by becoming the first Chinese-born player to set foot on the pitch for an MLS club when he came on as a substitute in the Whitecaps 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union. He would make further history on October 12 when he scored his first goal against his current club in a 2-1 win.

When talking about that goal, Tan again showed his modesty. “I was very happy when I scored the goal. I didn’t really think about making history. I was just very excited to help my team win the match,” he said.

However, things did not pan out well later on for the ambitious striker as he played sporadically for the Whitecaps, only making a handful of substitute appearances. The frustration of not playing, let alone not starting, led to him venting his frustrations on Twitter.

“What do you want? I do not understand!” he tweeted, an apparent shot at Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie.

“At the very beginning, I was very confident when I was in Vancouver. I hoped to help the team win as many matches as possible. But I wasn’t given many opportunities because the coach didn’t trust me,” Tan said. “As a young player, I said something on Twitter which I don’t regret. Now I want to improve my ability.”

Tan’s rant did not go down well with Rennie and Vancouver’s front office and he was suspended indefinitely by the club.

Tan scores first goal for DC United in 4-2 win over Chicago

With his career in Canada in limbo, the Whitecaps traded Tan to DC United on June 28 this year.

Making a fresh start with a new club, Tan opened his account for the four-time MLS champions in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Fire in August.

With DC United recently qualifying for the league’s playoff stage which starts in early November, Tan now has his sights set on only one goal that he has yet to accomplish in his young career in MLS. ” I want to become the first Chinese player to win the MLS Cup,” he said.

Photos

China Daily
DC Sports Box

Additional Articles

• Whitecaps FC – Tan’s first goal lifts ‘Caps off bottom of league table
• CBC Sports – Whitecaps striker moved after complaining on Twitter
• SportsNet – Tan Shows Promise
• Wild East Football – Tan Long: My first season in the MLS

The local government may think by having a Japanese title sponsor,  the marathon would not serve China’s national interest and wouldn’t make themselves look good in their positions jockeying before 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

Earlier this month, the Beijing Marathon was also postponed due to the fact that the no-one-knows-exactly-when 18th Congress is coming.

Related:

• Shanghaied Weblog: Sports And Politics Don’t Go Together In China
• The Global Times: Confrontation will be huge mistake for Japan

The second Nike Festival of Sport (FoW) took place in Shanghai last weekend. Brash, loud and invariably crowded, the inaugural event had a very Chinese feel to its organisation and this time around, the global sports giant was hoping for an event that had the same buzz and without the chaos.

Situated on the car parks and astroturf pitches surrounding the Shanghai stadium, things certainly felt neater and more thought-out than what had been predicted and from an accessibility point of view, there certainly didn’t seem to be any problems. Everything was sign posted and there seemed to be a clear line of communication between event organisers and the people coming to see the various events.

Moreover, judging from the numbers of people moving around from place to place, the punters seemed to be appreciating the event and were staying around to take part in the different activities despite the weather alternating between extreme humidity and heavy rain.

This being a Nike event in Asia, there was obviously going to be a cameo appearance from Lebron James, and even the American found the almost cultish reception awaiting him on every corner somewhat overwhelming, but all in all, the event felt just as much about Chinese athletes.

With several recognisable Chinese athletes including Yi Jianlian and Li Gen in attendance as well as other less well-known names like the NFL special teams prospect, Long Ding, it was great that school kids could point to somewhere who plays their sport and use them as a benchmark for where they want to be in a decade.

The range of sports that people could try out was also fairly varied. There was the traditional favourites like basketball, soccer and tennis but there was also more unusual ones (by Chinese standards anyway) such as baseball, American football, golf and shot put.

Though it’s unlikely that you’ll see a Chinese pitcher starting on opening day in the MLB anytime soon, there fact these opportunities are here can only start that process. The fact that Nike brought amateurs along who play in the city’s American football teams along for exhibitions of flag football also neatly demonstrated what can be achieved if enough Chinese enthusiasts get together and form a team.

Arguably, the only real criticism that could be aimed at this year’s FoW is one that could be aimed at almost any sporting exhibition like this- namely the confused idea of women in sport. Indeed, as ubiquitous as they are in sporting events, one wonders if the event really needed the presence of the New England Patriots’ cheerleading squad or the sheer number of comely Chinese girls squeezed into Lycra two pieces milling around the festival.

Like many countries in the world, the number of men regularly playing sport vastly outnumbers women but especially in Asia, where the latter are under enormous pressure to be ‘glamorous’ or ‘cute’, it would be great if Nike could push the idea of female athletes are just that rather than eye candy

Yes, there were female athletes at the event and Nike did put on a women’s basketball tournament for U-19’s and U-23’s basketball but one would struggle to argue that the girls sweating away on the court enjoyed anywhere near the level of exposure of their pom-pom wielding counterparts.

Nike can and often is accused of trying to make its brand more important the sport itself but commendably, the event felt like a celebration of Chinese sport instead of an opportunity to sell trainers.

Beyond the simple fact that China remains Nike’s biggest market and the company is determined to widen its profit margin in the Middle Kingdom, it seems almost certain that the FoW will be back in Shanghai for 2013. The formula, though somewhat flawed and occasionally star driven, has been a success for the second year running and in an age of often highly cynical business tactics, the fact that Nike is doing its bit to encourage more Chinese people to take up sport can only be a good thing.

Video: Courtesy of Nike Basketball

Lin Dan remains king of the mountain in London

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China’s top badminton player, Lin Dan accomplished what many had expected him to do years before when he stood atop the podium to collect the men’s singles gold medal over his rival, Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei.

Four years later in London the man known as “Super Dan” found himself in the men’s final again going up against the same opponent and once again the result was the same as the defending Olympic champion knocked off Lee in a thrilling final that should have at least made up for the debacle that happened in the women’s doubles competition.

While most in the sporting world have had their eyes on US swimmer Michael Phelps’ pursuit of becoming the most decorated Olympian in history and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s attempt at repeating his success on the track, the four-time world champion was looking to become the first men’s singles player to repeat as champion since the sport was granted Olympic status back in 1992.

Consider it mission accomplished for the man from Fujian Province as he flew around Wembley Arena in joy. Who can blame Lin for his reaction? In what could possibly be his final Olympic Games appearance, he deserved to bask in the glory.

While the 28-year old has won many honors in his long career and is well known throughout Asia, his victory and legacy could possibly help the sport grow into other parts of the world.

Since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, there has been much discussion about how China uses sport to promote its soft power. In a day and age where most of the world knows about Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Lionel Messi and a host of other sports stars, China has pushed athletes such as Yao Ming, Li Na and Liu Xiang into the international spotlight.

However, while they all are in sports that are heavily followed by sports fans around the world, badminton is the one sport that could use a lift in other parts of the world where it is just a mere recreational activity. While the Badminton World Federation (BWF) can do better in promoting the sport by getting the top players to play exhibition matches and conduct clinics, it could also benefit China if they started their own sprots diplomacy program where they send some their top athletes from sports such as badminton and ping pong to inspire greater interest.

China’s domination of the two sports has been a cause of concern for both the BWF and the International Table Tennis Federation, but it is an issue tha the country cannot be blamed for as it produces some of the best players in the world. In fact, the core problem could be the promotion of the respective sports.

By having Lin and other Chinese athletes pay visits to areas where their sports are not followed much, it could be a win-win situation for China. One, it increases the profile of the sports and it could show younger athletes that there are many alternatives should their path in other sports not pan out the way they want. Two, it helps with China’s image abroad. While the world is quite aware of the country’s great progress and emergence as an influential global power, it would be a great idea if their athletes could be introduced to a wider audience, especially youngsters who are just starting to be exposed to different sports.

Through their appearances to the public, it can further eliminate the skepticism that some people may have and increase their knowledge on a country that is going to be a major player in the world for years to come.

China has already established various sports exchanges with countries around the world, but by establishing their own sports diplomacy program like the United States or what the National Basketball Association (NBA) does through its Basketball Without Borders program, they could possibly help with the increase in participation of the sports. Thus, it could lead to greater competition should young people take the sports seriously in the future.

It is unknown as to what is in store for Lin Dan’s future. However, it goes without question that the reigning Olympic champion will forever be an ambassador for the sport of badminton and one that can help transcend it from just being a regional sport into a more global one.

Photo
Calgary Herald

Additional Articles

• Yahoo – Bad boy of badminton struts away with gold
• Guardian – London 2012: Lin Dan’s profile soars after second Olympic badminton gold
• Daily Reporter – Badminton hopes for another Lin Dan-Lee Chong Wei classic to remedy scandal-marred week
• The Telegraph – Rock star of badminton Lin Dan wins singles final to end Malaysia’s hopes of first gold medal
• New York Times – In Battle Between Longtime Rivals, More Than One Gold Is in Offing
• Bettor – Lin Dan thinks his honest effort against Chong Wei will repair Chinese players’ image
• The Star Online – Lin Dan invites Chong Wei and others to his wedding banquet