国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

Sports / China

Experts: China has strong shot to host World Cup

By Sun Xiaochen (China Daily) Updated: 2014-07-15 08:42

Now that the 2014 World Cup has ended, some Chinese are looking for ways to increase the country's participation in the global sporting event.

Experts: China has strong shot to host World Cup

Clinic's goal is to help soccer fans

Hosting the prestigious soccer tournament has become a stronger possibility, given President Xi Jinping's high interest in the game and the country's fast economic growth, observers said.

"There is a possibility that China will host the World Cup in the next 20 years as its fast-growing economy appeals to FIFA," said Adam Zhang, founder of sports consultancy company Key-Sports.

Mark Dreyer, a veteran sports reporter who has worked for ESPN and The Associated Press, agreed with Zhang, saying China's economic strength gives it a real shot at hosting the expensive event.

"With the cost of hosting huge sporting events appearing to become more expensive, fewer countries will want to bid for the right to host them, and that in turn favors larger, richer countries - of which China is certainly one," Dreyer said.

Hosting the tournament "should be part of China's long-term plan to develop the game and to build a solid soccer culture. It's a means, not a goal", Zhang said.

After meeting with Sohn Hak-kyu, chairman of South Korea's Democratic Party, in 2011, Xi stated that his three wishes for Chinese soccer are qualifying for the World Cup, hosting the event and ultimately winning it.

Since its first attempt in 1957, China has had 10 Cup-qualifying campaigns but only succeeded once, in 2002, when hosts Japan and South Korea qualified automatically and freed up two final spots in the region.

With disappointments like China's humiliating 5-1 loss to Thailand in June 2013, the men's national team slid to No 103 on FIFA's world rankings and No 12 in Asia.

In 2010, Wei Di, former Chinese soccer chief, announced the country's interest in hosting the 2026 World Cup.

"I think it will be shameful to see China qualify for the World Cup again only because it hosts the event. It will be more embarrassing to see the host country eliminated after the round robin," said Wang Wen, president of Beijing Football Fan Club.

Still, winning the right to host the 2034 World Cup remains a possibility for China because of the way FIFA rotates continents when selecting a host country for the event, experts said.

Contact the writer at sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn

Most Popular
What's Hot
Highlights
Special
...
北海市| 绥阳县| 河南省| 全椒县| 平谷区| 九龙坡区| 贵溪市| 汽车| 璧山县| 临猗县| 宾阳县| 馆陶县| 灵川县| 沙湾县| 长泰县| 壤塘县| 高邑县| 慈利县| 博湖县| 葫芦岛市| 永寿县| 襄垣县| 湖南省| 江孜县| 台安县| 济宁市| 昭觉县| 吉木乃县| 广灵县| 绍兴县| 安阳市| 平远县| 子长县| 曲阳县| 孝义市| 睢宁县| 无锡市| 浙江省| 漠河县| 铁力市| 昆山市|