Specials

World Cup Craze

(Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-06-25 14:24

Editor's note: The one of the world's greatest spectacles-World Cup has swept up South Arica with fantastic games and it is a unique opportunity for South Africa to introduce itself to the world comprehensively. Meanwhile, the fantastic World Cup has ignited the passion of world and among the fans, and Chinese fans must have the most complicated feeling of this World Cup for its hosting continent and Asian teams' performance.

 

World Cup in New Africa

South Africa extends its frontier to space

By hosting the World Cup, South Africa is set to defy Africa's image as too poor and trouble-ridden to stage one of the world's greatest spectacles. With its pursuit of research into the farthest reaches of the universe - deep space - South Africa hopes to provide further proof that Africans can compete at all levels.

It is also leading the African effort to host what is widely described as potentially the world's largest scientific instrument, the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope.

To be sure, South Africa's push to join the world's technological leaders is not limited to space research. The country is also home to thriving communities of scientists and engineers specializing in nuclear and solar energy, software encryption, coal-to-oil conversion and even electric cars.[full story]

Let World Cup empower African women

Africa is again high on the global agenda, and this time for all the right reasons. As the kick-off to the World Cup in South Africa approaches, people are seeing not just South Africa but our entire continent as equal partners in this extraordinary global celebration.

So, as the world's eyes turn to Africa, we should take the opportunity to showcase the key role that Africa's women are increasingly playing in the continent's success.

If governments and key stakeholders can lift the barriers that prevent women from playing their full role in our economies and societies, the future would be bright - not just for women but for our entire continent.[full story]

 

Craze for soccer

Soccer craze

Sports recognize no borders. Today, advances in communications mean any game can be broadcast live to any part of the globe. This may partly explain why quite a few Chinese are big soccer fans. The pre-World Cup hype on both TV and in print has been phenomenal.

 More than 30 percent of soccer fans in the country have reportedly adjusted their rest schedules to watch the games, scheduled to be unveiled tonight in Johannesburg.[full story]

 

World Cup turns 'soccer widows' to fans 

Being tired of complaining about the World Cup or shopping crazily, the former so-called "soccer widows" now would like to interact with their husbands positively by being soccer fans.[full story]

 

 

 

Chengdu fans brave rain to watch World Cup

Despite the heavy rain, over 3,000 residents were gathering in front of a some 50 m2 LED screen to celebrate the opening of South Africa World Cup on Friday night in the South Lake Park of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.

The crowd arrived at the park around 7: 30 p.m., arranging tables and ordering beer and food. The rain started shortly after the beginning of the match between South Africa and Mexico.[full story]

 

 

 

Where does Chinese football team go?

The Chinese national football team has done pretty badly in international competitions. Scandals involving online gambling and match-fixing have besmirched the reputation of Chinese soccer.

When will China  win the World Cup?

 

Soccer fans want national men's team dismissed

Chinese netizens and football fans are venting their anger against the Chinese national men's football team, with some even calling for their dismissal, after watching the outstanding performances of the nation's neighbors' teams in the 2010 South African World Cup, an online survey said.

At the games in Johannesburg, South Africa, the North Korean team, which returned to the World Cup after 44 years, lost in a close-scoring game, 1-2, to the Brazilians, a team that is a five-time world champion. The Chinese football team also faced the Brazilians in a World Cup game eight years ago, but lost with a score of 0-4. [full story]

Learn from the DPRK team 

The DPRK team, ranked 105 by FIFA, lost the match 2-1 to the Number 1 ranked Brazilians in South Africa on June 15. While the match result startled many people, the DPRK team, the mysterious team from Asia, has won applause from the world. With a display full of passion, DPRK players have proved to the world that they can hold their own against better ranked teams and have quieted some critics who predicted that they would not score a single goal in the whole World Cup 2010 series.[full story]

Road to Brazil 2014 begins at home

Chinese athletes' impressive performance at the last two Olympic Games showed us how far China has come in the world of international sports. But the Chinese football team's failure to qualify for the World Cup reminds us how far China still has to go. This assessment aims not to critique the Chinese football team, but calls on China to keep moving its sports policies forward by rethinking its approach.

Despite China achieving numerous milestones in recent years, Chinese fans, for better or worse, are still impatient. I urge fans of Chinese football to recognize that it takes time to build a strong team that is supported by a solid foundation of a national football culture.[full story]

What are readers saying?

"Whoever", Australia,

Anyway, corruption is so embedded in Chinese football and needs to be rooted out before it can even think of becoming a global or Asian powerhouse. After seeing games in Guangzhou they still have decades to go.

"Larrydu", Malaysia

But the most important goal for China, so far as sports is concerned, must be to let it serve the physical well-being of the people. China must step back and rectify its mistakes. Football - or any other sport - isn't China's priority. The general health of the masses is.[full story]