If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the podcast yet, I’d really suggest you check this one out (see embed below). The is the eighth one we’ve done and it’s the best one yet. For a start, there’s a LOT going on right now! The Peng Shuai saga has completely blown up everywhere (except for China of course, where it’s heavily censored), Zhou Guanyu is set to make history as China’s first F1 driver as he will partner Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo next season, there’s been a dramatic reversal from the International Ice Hockey Federation which could still lead to China getting kicked out of the Olympics, and we talk to Rowan Simons – who’s been inside the Chinese soccer world for more than 25 years. Full blurb below:
On a jam-packed show, we discuss the latest drama with the Chinese men’s hockey team – who may still get kicked out of the Olympics (0:45). China gets its first F1 driver, as Zhou Guanyu joins Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo for next season (6:07). Then we turn to a China tennis story that’s gone global: What’s going on with Péng Shuài 彭帅, and what does this mean for the sport of tennis in China? (10:26). And, we talk about China’s latest results in their FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and where it leaves them. Spoiler: they’re still not going to qualify for Qatar (16:50).
This week, we also speak to Rowan Simons. He’s a familiar figure in football in China. In 2008, he wrote Bamboo Goalposts: One Man’s Quest to Teach the People’s Republic of China to Love Football and founded ClubFootball, one of the largest youth soccer programs in Beijing. We talk about: the number of pitches built in China since a 50-point reform plan was initiated in 2015 (20:11), the issue with the campus football project (23:23), how bureaucracy hinders essential long-term planning in the sport (25:49), the different generations of football coaches in China and their different mentalities (31:16), why parents are the hope for Chinese football (33:34), the impact of the gaokao [China’s university entrance exam] on sports (35:20), whether China is potentially ready and willing to host a World Cup in 2034 (37:17), and why Rowan is cheering for China to qualify for the World Cup — and why he isn’t (43:16).
Since we recorded the show, I spoke about the Peng Shuai/WTA to The Guardian, AFP, BBC Radio and more, and I also spoke to CBC in Canada about the Chinese men’s hockey team and their roster full of Canadians (TV and online). If you enjoyed the podcast, please download, share or subscribe! And as always, find me on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
It is interesting to hearing Comments about China Sports in English, especially here in Beijing. Soccer and tennis stuffs are not only about sports right now. from a guy working for ESPN in Beijing.