The Chinese FA launched a training camp that ended the season for 55 young players from the top flight and China League One. U25 players will be in the camp until December, "meaning they miss the last six games of the Chinese Super League and in some cases the chance to appear in the Chinese FA Cup final." Reaction on social media has been "unforgiving, with most unable to fathom the logic of removing young players from competitive football for a training camp" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 10/3).
Sue Campbell hopes new contracts for England women will keep players "hungry."GETTY IMAGES
FA Head of Women's Football Sue Campbell said that England women's new central contracts will "hopefully" keep players "hungry." The team was first awarded central contracts in '09 to "help ease the burden of having second jobs." The restructure introduces four contract levels, with top players paid £30,000 ($39,000) a year by the FA and junior players earning £15,000 ($19,470) (BBC, 10/3).
Outgoing Hong Kong FA CEO Mark Sutcliffe said that the "hard-won gains" made by football in Hong Kong in the past six years are "in danger of collapse." Sutcliffe: "I have a big fear about what's going to happen in the next 12 months. ... Our funding runs out in March 2020, that's the five-year funding from the government and the Jockey Club, and that accounts for 50% of our revenue" (SCMP, 10/3).
Three weeks until the Amputee World Cup in Mexico, the Nigerian team "turned to a crowd-funding campaign to raise the necessary finances." The Special Eagles missed the last three editions of the tournament "due to a lack of money." Arsenal Amputee FC's Michael Ishiguzo set up an online appeal on GoFundMe to raise almost $68,000 (BBC, 10/3).
