中国加强足球教育

Whether to study or to play sports, has always been a nerve-wrecking choice for many students here in China. But that could be changed soon, as authorities adjust college enrolment policies, and offer more channels to prospective students. 

Speeding on green grass fields. Taking in loud roars from the cheering crowds. For soccer students in China, like Huang Junyi, there's no bigger dream than being a professional soccer player.

However, he soon realized, this dream is facing so much pressure from the real world.

"Most of my pressure came from the teachers, they always ask me why am I wasting my study time on playing soccer."

To them, whether to study or to play soccer, always remains a tough choice. Many parents believe that choosing sports to be a career, can mean a difficult route. And Huang is not the only one who actually FEELS that pressure.

Fortunately, these worries would now be eased. As top colleges in China, such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, have all tilted their enrollment policies, to provide easier access for students with soccer talents.

Peking University has added soccer as a new enrollment subject. And both campuses have lowered their requirements on the academic score for the talent.

The Ministry of Education is planning to support the building of 200 college soccer teams, around the country this year.

"The plan is to firstly choose 200 teams from the country's best colleges. Parents will let their children play sports, if they see that the country's best campuses are boosting the development of soccer major,"

"And high schools will find more channels to cultivate their kids, and send them to these colleges," said Mao Zhenming, Dean of Sports School, Beijing Normal Univ..

Apart from this, education authorities will also boost the set up of football leagues among the country's schools and colleges.

And around 6,000 schools, which specialised in providing education in soccer major, will also be built.