It may not rank alongside the names of Brazil or Barcelona, but China is "hoping to take its place in the annals" of football history, according to John Duerden of the N.Y. TIMES. On Monday, the National Development and Reform Commission of China "released a plan to give the country one of the world’s leading national teams by 2050." The first stage, already underway, is to introduce football "to 20,000 schools." The midterm stage, to take place from '21 to '30, "is for the men to become one of the standout teams in Asia." Chinese national team Manager Gao Hongbo said, "The Chinese sports industry is developing. The Chinese government, including the sports and education ministries, support football more and are paying attention to youth development. If we continue like this, China will become very strong." Ma Dexing, one of China's leading football writers, "is not convinced that the new blueprint will work." Ma said, "It’s not realistic. If you look at South Korea and Japan, they have developed using plans that were made by football people. In China, it is done by politicians and officials who don’t know anything about the game. There is lots of talk but no action." Andy Roxburgh of Scotland was UEFA’s technical director from '94-12 "before taking the same post with the Asian Football Confederation." Roxburgh said that he believed that China's resources -- its people and its finances -- "would make the difference." Roxburgh: "It is certainly possible for China to become one of the best in Asia and the world. Where there is a will, there is a way, and China has the will. It just has to find the way" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/13).
