More than 50 million people in China will play soccer regularly by 2020, according to the latest government plan to promote the development of the sport in China, while an observer said the country's emphasis on soccer will serve as the impetus for other sports and social reforms.
The number of schools specializing in soccer will reach 20,000, and over 30 million primary and high school students will play soccer frequently by 2020, according to the Mid- and Long-Term Development Plan for Chinese Soccer released by China's National Development and Reform Commission on Monday.
According to the plan, the nation will go through three phases of soccer development between 2016 and 2050, during which time the country will "go all out to realize the comprehensive development of Chinese soccer and the goal of being a top-class soccer nation" by 2050.
China's Ministry of Education already approved 8,627 soccer schools in 2015, China National Radio reported.
"Compared with former plans, the new one focuses not only on the sport itself, but also on social and economic aspects related to soccer, such as the country's physical education system," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
The new plan will effectively promote soccer in China and will improve Chinese soccer's performance on the international stage, Wang said. "As the world's most popular sport, soccer can drive huge economic growth and mass social participation in China, and its development will also boost the country's cultural soft power."
Chinese soccer has been plagued by the lackluster performance of its national teams. The men's team, now ranked 81st worldwide, qualified for one World Cup final in 2002, and the team recently qualified for the third round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers on March 29.
"Soccer needs a far more complicated management mode to thrive compared with other sports. With the government's emphasis on soccer, the country will accumulate more experience in the development of sports industries, which may boost the reform of other sports," Wang said.
