Friday, July 6, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION

2 PAGE TWO

Russian players celebrate after beating on penalties in to reach the World Cup quarterfinals, where the team will face Croatia. YANG LEI / XINHUA Soccer: Children hold the key to development of game in

From page 1 develop in the future,” added Gorlov. Anatoly Vorobyov, former gener­ “We will do our best to get more al secretary of the Russian Foot­ Soccer gained popularity among young people involved in football ball Union, said one of the reasons Russian youngsters in the early through our tournaments. We hope that that has led to this situation is 1990s, after the broke to find more sponsors to get new the system used in the Russian up. opportunities. “ league. At the time, the in Russia However, Russian fans still com­ With two notable exceptions, pri­ was in a disastrous state economi­ plain that youth soccer is progress­ vate investors have snubbed Rus­ cally, and many elite players moved ing too slowly, and a lack of sian soccer, so most top­tier clubs to Western Europe, according to A young Russian soccer fan looks for­ planning is evident in every area of are bankrolled by regional authori­ soccer columnist Michael Yokhin. ward to the game against Spain. the national team. ties and state­owned companies. From top: Soccer is played on a promenade in Zelenogradsk, Russia; a boy The most talented found them­ WU ZHUANG / XINHUA Take central defense for example. The uncertainty has seen many hones his skills in Volgograd. TASS selves in the top leagues, such as Sergei Ignashevich celebrates his state backers shun investment in is played in Samara. GETTY IMAGES Igor Shalimov and Igor Kolyvanov 39th birthday during the World grassroots player development, in Serie A, in the players as it organizes more than 20 Cup, while the Berezutsky twins, instead bringing in expensive for­ English Premier League, Valery Kar­ tournaments each year for players Aleksei and Vasili, turn 36. Yokhin eign stars in a race for results when took over, Spartak finally became national team this year is quite pin, Aleksandr Mostovoi and Viktor ages 8 to 15. said the limit imposed on foreign times are good, and cutting back champions last year after a 16­year familiar to China.” Onopko in , and Sergei Kiry­ “The tournaments stretch beyond players did not help. Apart from when budgets are tight. drought. The legendary coach, who led akov in the Bundesliga, Yokhin said. Russia to countries such as Serbia, CSKA, all the top clubs still play for­ “Everyone wants to be a sprinter. Despite difficulties and still await­ China to the World Cup Finals in The success of these players , Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, eign center­backs and Russia was No one wants to invest in the long ing changes, Russia has broken new 2002, said he was sad the country inspired Russian youngsters to join Romania, Moldova, Turkmenistan, left without decent successors when term,” Vorobyov said. ground in making it to the last eight did not make it to Russia this year. youth clubs. In 1993, the Children’s Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan,” Gor­ the trio of veterans retired from the Leonid Fedun is one of the few at this year’s World Cup. But he said Russia’s success this Football League of Russia was lov said. international game in 2016. private owners of a top­tier Russian At the start of the tournament, summer should serve to inspire the founded and became an associate He said the success of the soccer “It is ironic that there must be soccer club. The billionaire deputy prospects for the national side did Chinese team. member of the Russian Football industry involves training and thousands of potentially top­class, head of oil giant Lukoil bought Spar­ not look good, as the team had “If the team can seize rare oppor­ Union. investing in young players. With the physically strong center­backs in tak Moscow in 2004 when it was in dropped to a record­low ranking of tunities and not be afraid of facing Victor Gorlov, president of the help of the Children’s Football Siberian towns such as Kaltan. The serious financial difficulties. 70th in the latest FIFA table, the some strong teams in key matches, Children’s Football League, said the League, more talented Russian game is just unable to find Fedun created a youth academy team with the lowest rating in the it may qualify for the 2022 Qatar league is playing a significant role in have been found. Meanwhile, the them, teach them, give them oppor­ and built a 45,000­capacity stadium tournament. World Cup,” Milutinovic said. the development of soccer in Russia, sport’s popularity has been regained tunities at the required level and that is one of the 12 World Cup Bora Milutinovic, former head “After all, as I have always said, and now acts as a springboard for among children in Russia. send them out to get some experi­ venues. coach of the Chinese national team, your attitude will determine your many of the country’s professional “The main aim is to grow and ence in the top leagues,” Yokhin said. runners­up five times since Fedun said, “The situation of the Russian altitude.” ID policy pays off as I fall for the charms of fans live the dream soccer’s global showpiece I was moved when Portuguese the Mexican celebrated by whistling By REN QI in Moscow Spain, and Argentina are too superstar Cristiano Ronaldo offered and yelling, but before he left, he [email protected] difficult to buy on the official FIFA a helping hand to Uruguayan strik­ shook hands with the German and website, so we chose the match er Edinson Cavani even when Por­ the German responded with a smile Xiang Guozheng, a 31­year­old between and Senegal.” tugal were trailing 2­1 on Saturday. — reluctant but kind. soccer fan from China, watched his Aleksey Tikhnenko, head of the Despite defeat, Ronaldo still won In a bar near Red Square, I met first World Cup game live on June hotel management department at the hearts of fans worldwide with Susanna Halonen, a passionate fan 19 in Moscow, fulfilling a lifelong Moscow’s Department of Sport and his charitable act, because this is from Brazil. Before coming to Rus­ ambition. Tourism, said that with Xiang and what soccer involves – competitive­ sia, she had watched World Cup “I always dreamed about watch­ his friends joining thousands of ness, friendship matches in South Africa and her ing a World Cup match and enjoy­ others from all over the world in and compassion. home country. ing the crazy atmosphere with fans Russia, Moscow expects to host up And this atmos­ Halonen said she loves following from all over the world. Now I have to 1 million supporters from differ­ phere has spread the World Cup every time it is staged. realized my dream,” he said. ent countries during the tourna­ from the soccer field Watching matches at this year’s tour­ Despite the absence of the Chi­ ment. to the streets. nament has reminded her again how nese national team in soccer’s Russian authorities said they Chinese soccer fans Xiang Guozheng and Yin Shen attend the Poland versus Before I moved to sport has the power to bring people Ren Qi global showpiece this year, Xiang also expect to see an increase in Senegal game in Moscow on July 19. REN QI / CHINA DAILY work in Russia, I together and inspire them to achieve Reporter’s still managed to buy tickets using tourists at other World Cup venues, Log had traveled to the their dreams. his fan ID and flew to the largest including Saint Petersburg, , world’s largest Speaking before the exit of country in the world with three Volgograd and Samara. carried out in World Cup host cities paid by the Russian government to country many defending champions Germany friends, who also work and live in “The fan ID policy is most had the greatest impact on the soccer. times, but this is the first time I along with Costa Rica, she said, Beijing. attractive for fans like me to decide economy in 2016 and last year, said Russian President Vladimir have seen so many foreign visitors “Whilst the Costa Ricans fought Like Xiang, many Chinese tour­ whether to come to Russia,” Xiang Alexei Zabotkin, head of invest­ Putin is confident that the invest­ in Moscow. with persistence, Germany were ists have flown to Russia to watch said. “Getting a visa can be a head­ ment strategy at VTB Capital. ments will pay off. The World Cup kicked off on June relying on efficiency and accuracy. matches. ache for tourists, but with the fan The Moscow Times reported that He said in June that infrastruc­ 14, and fans, especially those from “But to me, it’s always the Brazil­ According to Russia’s Ministry of ID, which I acquired after buying Russia is expected to have spent ture spending had to reap rewards Latin America, poured into Russian ians who shine. They play with pas­ Digital Development, Communica­ the World Cup ticket, I’m able to 883 billion rubles ($14.2 billion) on and that stadiums would not be cities, occupying bars, coffee shops sion. They play for the love of the tions and Mass Media, more than travel in Russia without a visa.” hosting the event. It also invested allowed to become “flea markets” and street corners, waving their sport and for the love of their 60,000 Chinese fans have bought World Cup organizers are 683 billion rubles on transporta­ after the tournament. national flags and singing songs. nation. They play for the supporters tickets for the tournament. expecting 570,000 overseas fans tion infrastructure, stadium con­ Yaroslav Lissovolik, chief econo­ I have been amazed by the fans’ that are all around them. They play “I did not hesitate at all when and 700,000 Russian supporters to struction and accommodation. mist at the Eurasian Development passion, because this is not a com­ for their families and friends.” hearing the news that if I bought a attend World Cup matches, giving “Moscow airports are among the Bank, said the key task for Russia is mon sight in Asia, at least not in Chi­ Muhammad Ali once said, “Cham­ World Cup ticket and obtained a the tourism sector, including key beneficiaries in the transport to maintain the tourism increase as na. We support our national soccer pions are made from something they fan ID I would be able to visit Rus­ hotels and restaurants, a huge sector because upgraded facilities well as economic growth after the team in a more understated manner. have deep inside them – a desire, a sia without a visa,” Xiang said. boost. will support higher passenger World Cup. I have also been moved by the dream, a vision.” Speaking before , Spain According to a report from credit flows, even after the event,” “The question is to what extent friendship shown by fans from dif­ Every four years at the World and Argentina crashed out of the rating agency Moody’s, the Russian Moody’s said. will Russia be able to use the oppor­ ferent countries. Cup, this is demonstrated not only tournament, Xiang said, “But it government started to prepare for The report added that the official tunities provided by the World Cup I saw a Mexican supporter and a by the players, but the fans from takes time when I choose the the World Cup and the arrival of budget for the tournament had to raise its economic growth poten­ German fan sitting at the same res­ different countries who gather to matches I am going to watch, tourists from all over the world been amended 12 times since Rus­ tial through better infrastructure taurant table watching the game passionately cheer on their teams. because those involving some years ago. sia won the bid in 2010 to host it, and better worldwide recognition,” between the two countries. When This is the real charm of soccer, favorite teams, such as Portugal, Massive construction projects showing the high level of attention Lissovolik said. the match was over and Mexico won, the real charm of the World Cup.