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20 • Touchline • Issue 14
When, in the 2008 Olympics, China
crashed out in a 2-0 defeat to Belgium,
one commentator was moved to say
that the team did it willingly, wanting
the country to get on with enjoying the
games. Such was the general apathy
and disdain for the sport that even in a
country where national pride is held in
such high esteem could a sport be so
roundly ridiculed.
Chinese football is just one of the
international team sports which fails
both to light the popular imagination and
to bring home the medals and plaudits
that the Communist Party so desperately
needs.
Compare China’s weakness in team
games to that of its Olympic individual
medallists. What helped the USA over the
line were the medals it picked up in such
team games as basketball. It is telling
that until the finals of the team sports,
China was ahead.
CHINESE
TEAM
SPORTS:
China’s lack of success in
team sports comes under
the spotlight
COLLECTIVE
FAILURE
© Keith Allison