By 2035, China will strive to lay the cornerstone of a strong sports nation, and by 2050 it will be on its way to becoming a modernized socialist sports power. Soccer, as one of the most popular sports in the world, plays a pivotal role in the international sports arena.
The development of soccer in China is crucial to realizing the dream of a strong sports nation. Although table tennis is the leading sport in China, we cannot ignore the importance of soccer. Behind the glorious achievements of table tennis, soccer, as the world's most popular sport, has shaped the image of China as a sports powerhouse and should not be underestimated. Only the breakthrough of Chinese soccer in the international arena can show the improvement of China's sports strength in all aspects!
FIFA data show that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar attracted more than 5 billion people around the world to watch, of which the final one has as many as 1.5 billion people pay attention. 3.4 million on-site audience, but also witnessed the unparalleled charm of the World Cup. In addition, the market value of the soccer industry is as high as $50 billion, of which the income of the five major leagues in Europe has reached a staggering 17.2 billion euros.
According to Socialiall, as of March 13, 2024, on Instagram, C Luo topped the list with 630 million followers, followed by Lionel Messi with 500 million followers. In soccer powerhouses such as Brazil, Argentina, England, and Spain, soccer is regarded as the national sport, and is even called the "national sport".
Chinese soccer has the potential to become the number one sport in China, but it has failed to show its charisma and fighting power. Table tennis is the "top stream" of sports in China!
How to regain trust in Chinese soccer?
The plight of Chinese soccer is not overnight, table tennis and soccer is different, but the trust behind the issue is the key. So, how can we win trust? Franklin Covey once proposed a formula for gaining trust, which includes four elements: sincerity, motivation, ability and achievement. Chinese soccer and table tennis have very different approaches to these four elements, and the results have been very different.
First of all, it is important to treat a sport with sincerity, go all out and refrain from faking. However, in the past 23 years, there have been three anti-corruption incidents in Chinese soccer, including the "five rats of A-B" incident in 2001 and the anti-gambling and anti-blackmail fiasco in 2009, which have tarnished the reputation of Chinese soccer.
Second, as a Chinese sport, the highest motive is to win glory for the country. But Chinese soccer practitioners have repeatedly been subjected to undue competition and corruption, and the lure of money has made people skeptical of their motives.
Third, athletes need to prove themselves in the field. However, Chinese soccer players are disappointing their fans with frequent problems in stopping the ball and basic skills.
Finally, prove yourself with achievements. In this regard, the gap between Chinese soccer and table tennis is obvious. The Chinese men's soccer team has only made it to the World Cup once, 22 years ago, while the table tennis team has won many world championships, earning honor and trust for the country.
China's men's soccer team entered the Asian eight, becoming the second on the 2023 Weibo sports topic hot search list, which is enough to prove that the country's people are looking forward to Chinese soccer.
Even though the Chinese men's soccer team only reached the second round of the knockout stage at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the achievement was still a source of surprise and pride. To regain the trust of the nation, Chinese soccer needs to manage the four core elements of trust in any situation and prove itself with results.
Imagine if the Chinese men's soccer team can make a breakthrough in the World Cup, the Olympic Games or the Asian Cup, even if it is only scoring goals or winning the championship, I believe these small achievements are enough to make the people of the country feel happy and inspired! Only when Chinese soccer becomes the number one sport in the world can our country truly realize the dream of being a sports powerhouse.
The wooden barrel theory tells us that the capacity of water is determined by the shortest plank. Table tennis is already on top of the world, but we still need to pay attention to the short boards of Chinese soccer.
