China announces 8 national campus soccer reform zones

China’s Ministry of Education has recently announced 8 national teenage campus soccer reform zones, which include Shanghai, Yunan Province, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Lanzhou and Binzhou.

According to an official statement, a series of campus soccer reform projects will be developed in those zones, aiming to improve teaching quality, students’ physical fitness and soccer level in Chinese schools. All the zones will receive financial support in their soccer reform cause.

Chengdu, for example, a city which currently has 245 National Teenage Campus Soccer Specialist Schools, is planning to increase its soccer population in schools reach 300,000 by the year 2025.

In the future, Chengdu is expected to establish a soccer education system including at elementary schools, colleges and universities. Recently, the city has also set up 36 soccer pilot kindergartens.

Earlier in July, the education governing body has released a soccer pilot roster, finalizing 6,832 schools and 33 counties/districts featuring junior football campuses. 

Source: ifeng

Proofread by William Logsdon