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.