China and Czech Republic sign MOU on sports

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang met his Czech counterpart Bohuslav Sobotka last Friday and they witnessed the joint-signing of an MOU on sports by the Chinese Football Association and the Czech Football Association (FACR). 

The cooperation will first focus on football and then later on winter sports, specifically ice hockey, skiing and skating according to Liu Haixing, director of the European Affairs Department at the Chinese Foreign Ministry .

“The Czech Republic has had very good results in these spheres and there is great co-operation potential,” Liu said.

"The Chinese President is a great supporter of football," stated Miroslav Pelta, head of the FACR. He said the Czechs could help educate and train talented young players, coaches and also female players.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is to visit the Czech Republic next spring.

"We would like Chinese children to be training in the Czech Republic by then," Pelta said, adding that an expert team will be formed for this purpose. Among those who will participate are the country’s youth officer Michal Prokes and national team coach Pavel Vrba.

"Clearly a government decision has been taken to ensure that Chinese football reaches the world level...We are not a large country, but we have football experience," Pelta said.

Source: praguemonitor

Proofread by John Devlin