CHINA DAILY Tuesday, February 28, 2017 SPORTS 23 SOCCER WhyHainan? WhyisBarcelonaputtinga Hainan getting a bit of Barcelona socceracademyinHainan? For starters, it’s an ideal site for winter training and La Liga giant, Mission Hills Group has good air quality. Ding Hui, director of the sports teaming up to build new academy authority of Hainan, said 14 clubs from home and abroad held winter training By XU JINGXI in Haikou term plans for the sport’s camps on the island over [email protected] development last year, setting the past several months. goals of 50 million people The provincial govern­ For years, millions of Chi­ playing soccer on a daily basis ment of Hainan has written nese soccer fans have dreamed by 2020, having a top­notch the sports industry into its of a homegrown Lionel Messi. national team by 2030 and 13th Five­Year Plan (2016­ A Barcelona­backed soccer growing into a global soccer 20) as one of its 12 key academy to be launched this power by 2050. industries. The government summer in Haikou, capital of China’s national men’s team is also encouraging private South China’s island province is currently ranked 86th in the investment in the develop­ of Hainan, might help make world. To make a great leap, ment of soccer­related that dream a reality. the central government is vig­ industries. The Spanish La Liga giant orously promoting soccer edu­ Soccer is popular on the and Mission Hills Group, cation on university campuses island, with an U12 girls known for its world­class golf and plans to have 50,000 soc­ team in Qiongzhong Li and resorts, have signed a partner­ cer­focused schools by 2025, Miao autonomous county ship to break ground on a joint­ the Ministry of Education said winning the championship venture soccer academy. It will last week. at the Gothia Cup in Swe­ have seven pitches and accom­ Foreign soccer clubs are also den in 2015 and 2016. modation for 1,000 boys and actively involved in China’s Besides the academy, a girls from six to 18 years of age. youth soccer education, with 7,000­square­meter “Bar­ The Haikou facility will be prestigious clubs like Barcelo­ celona Experience” center Barcelona’s 26th overseas na, Real Madrid, Arsenal and will also be opened in Mis­ academy, and for the first time AC Milan flocking to the coun­ sion Hills’ complex in Hai­ the club will dispatch its own try to open academies and kou, featuring exhibits and technical staff to directly man­ youth training camps in Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho, who serves as ambassador for his former club Barcelona, shakes hands with local kids during his visit to club merchandise. age it. recent years. Haikou, Hainan province, last week. Barcelona and the Mission Hills Group are working together to open a major soccer academy on the XU JINGXI “Playing a bigger role in this “I would take it as coopera­ island and set up a long­term plan to develop the sport at the grassroots level throughout China. YANG GUANYU / XINHUA academy reflects the size of tion rather than competition; importance that Barcelona it’s good to have so many peo­ puts on this project and helps ple engaging in youth soccer ensure that kids in Haikou can training, which will be of great receive the same training that help to increase our soccer lev­ Kids hold key to future success we use in La Masia,” said Bar­ el,” said Ken Chu, chairman celona president Josep Maria and chief executive officer of Bartomeu. Mission Hills Group. By XU JINGXI and “We are still observing and many people as possible and among youth, Founded in 1979, La Masia, Bartomeu singled out the CHEN XIANGFENG evaluating the level of young make everybody play football. “Japan waited for 20 years the club’s youth academy, has significance of the project. Chineseplayersandwilldesign The knowledge and engage­ before its youth training sys­ spawned dozens of star play­ “Our cooperation with Mis­ Pass the ball. Move forward. a training system specially for ment needs to raise up before tem bore fruit and helped the ers, including the three final­ sion Hills will be a long­term Take a pass. Dribble ... break them to provide comprehen­ we can scout talent,” said Toni national team get back to the ists for the 2010 Ballon d’Or: project that lasts for 10 years, through ... shoot ... goal! sive instruction in techniques Claveria, project director for top in Asia in the 1990s. China Messi,AndresIniestaandXavi. even 20 years, which is a big Twelve primary school kids and their understanding of the Asia and Oceania of FCBEsco­ is now planting the seeds for a La Masia is regarded as a difference from other football impressed a group of specta­ game,” said Lopez, who will la, the official soccer school of solid foundation for the rise of significant factor in Barcelo­ academies in China,”he said. (Barcelona) helps tors — including Brazilian star head the coaching team and Barcelona. its teams,”Ding said. “The Bar­ na’s European success as well “More and more European Ronaldinho — with a demon­ has vowed to take Chinese lan­ “What China’s youth train­ celona academy is a boost to as the Spanish national team’s players have come to play in ensure that kids in stration of classic Barcelona­ guage lessons. ing system needs most is the development of soccer in 2010 World Cup triumph. the Chinese Super League, but Haikou can receive style soccer during 3­on­3 The Barca academy in Hai­ time,” he said. “China is vigor­ Hainan and in China.” By building facilities up to by improving youth training, games on a small pitch at the kou will be a clone of La Masia ously developing football. This The nation has a promising the standards of La Masia and hopefully we can have more the same training Mission Hills golf complex in in terms of both facilities and is a good start, so we have future for its national soccer emphasizing the Barcelona homegrown talent playing in Haikou, Hainan Island. training philosophy. Besides come to join.” team, given the new genera­ training philosophy of pass­ the Super League and even that we use in La Pau Lopez, project director boarding students who aspire According to Ding Hui, tion of players on the youth and­move, the Haikou acade­ European leagues. of the Barcelona soccer acade­ to become professional play­ director of the provincial teams that have already deliv­ my will aim to replicate the “I’m sure we will see a grad­ Masia.” mythatwillopenlaterthisyear ers, the academy will also host sports authority of Hainan, ered impressive performances success of La Masia in China. uate from our Haikou acade­ in Haikou, ran with the young summer camps and weekend China’s chances of becoming a on the global stage, said Barce­ The Chinese Football Asso­ my playing for Barcelona in Josep Maria Bartomeu, players, barking out instruc­ courses. global soccer power depend lona president Josep Maria ciation issued mid­ and long­ the future.” Barcelona president tions in his limited Chinese. “Our first step is to touch as on the sport’s development Bartomeu. GOLF That is the biggest puzzle to Tiger poses a puzzle for Nicklaus me. I just don’t know where he PALM BEACH GARDENS, ing an appearance in the NBC me. I just don’t know where he Woods canceled an inter­ is and where his mind is. I don’t know.” Florida — Jack Nicklaus said broadcast booth, Nicklaus was is and where his mind is. I view at Riviera, with his agent, Jack Nicklaus, on Tiger Woods’ current status he was “painting a picture” raving about the growing don’t know.” Mark Steinberg, saying doc­ whenhesuggestedafteraprac­ number of young players who Woods missed the cut at tors had advised Tiger to limit tice round with Tiger Woods at can win major champion­ Torrey Pines in his 2017 debut, all activities. same exact questions, it’ll be his room showing a timeline of following the US Open, his the 1996 Masters that the then ships. He said they learned to then flew halfway around the Nicklaus referenced a quote the same exact answers that Nicklaus achieving various 14th and last major. 20­year­old had the skill to win win because Woods no longer world to Dubai and withdrew from Steinberg that a media he gave before. And I think mileposts in golf, mostly as an A scandal in his personal life at least 10 green jackets. is dominant as he recovers with back spasms after a 77. conference would yield no from his standpoint, he’s tired amateur. unfolded a year later, followed On Sunday at the Honda from a litany of injuries. He withdrew from the Gen­ answers to his health. of answering them.” As a professional, Woods by more leg injuries and then Classic, Nicklaus referred to “Right now, I don’t know esis Open at Riviera, hosted by “I think he’s absolutely Nicklaus and Woods have was on pace to break Nicklaus’ three back surgeries. Woods as a “puzzle”. about Tiger,” Nicklaus said. his foundation, and this right,”Nicklaus said. long been linked, from the record 18 majors until his In an interview before mak­ “That is the biggest puzzle to week’s Honda Classic. “You’re going to ask him the time Woods posted a chart in fourth knee surgery in 2008 ASSOCIATED PRESS Scoreboard ALPINE SKIING Indiana 30 29 .508 11 NY Rangers 62 40 20 2 82 206 164 (ENG)65­67­69 Man City 25 16 4 5 51 29 52 Genoa 26 6 8 12 28 41 26 Detroit 28 31 .475 13 NY Islanders 61 29 22 10 68 180 182 202 ­ Jacques Kruyswijk 63­70­69, James Morri­ Arsenal 25 15 5 5 54 28 50 Empoli 26 5 7 14 15 37 22 World Cup men’s super­G Milwaukee 26 31 .456 14 Philadelphia 61 28 26 7 63 157 187 son (ENG)68­68­66, Brandon Stone 70­65­67 Liverpool 25 14 7 4 54 30 49 Palermo 26 3 6 17 22 50 15 Results from Kvitfjell, Norway on Sunday: WESTERN New Jersey 61 25 25 11 61 142 176 203 ­ George Coetzee 66­72­65, Keenan Davidse Man Utd 25 13 9 3 38 21 48 Crotone 26 3 4 19 21 45 13 1.