Soccer outpost transformed into powerhouse
XI’AN — Tucked in a narrow valley between mountains, the remote county of Zhidan was one of the poorest parts of China when United States journalist Edgar Snow ventured across the Loess Plateau in the country’s northwest in 1936.
Today, although still less developed than coastal regions, Zhidan in Shaanxi province is well-known nationwide for its success in grassroots soccer development.
When China qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first and only time 20 years ago, just 60 people played soccer on the dusty grounds of Zhidan. Today, that number has risen to 6,000, and 32 artificial turf pitches have been built in the county, which is home to 160,000 people.
All these achievements could not have been made without Ding Changbao, president of the Zhidan Football Association. With his help, 246 students from rural Zhidan have signed with professional clubs or are playing for university teams, leading to some parents dubbing him “Ding the good man”.
To achieve what he has today, Ding started with a much bigger dream — to establish a soccer club as great as the Spanish giant Real Madrid on the Loess Plateau.
“China’s embarrassing exit from the 2002 FIFA World Cup after losing all three matches in the group stage was a shock to me. I wanted to help China become strong in the soccer world,” Ding said.
His dream was clouded early on. Ding started his club in 2003 and it played provincial competitions with scant success on the field.
“Only around 60 people played soccer in the entire county, and half of them were children,” said Ding, reasoning that’s why their results were poor.
‘Be practical’
Ding realized the major hurdle to the development of the sport in China was a lack of players. His friend Zhang Lu, a well-known footballer and sports commentator, told him the solution was to boost soccer’s popularity.
“In 2007, I wrote a letter to Zhang. In his reply, he suggested setting up a county soccer association,” Ding said. “He told me ‘Give up being so ambitious. Be practical. Make children love football. That’s the correct way to develop the sport.’”
Ding took his friend’s advice and waited at the gate of the county education department for two weeks before he finally met its head, who approved his school soccer program.
Under Ding’s program, soccer was included in compulsory education in Zhidan. Professional coaches were hired to teach in primary and high schools, and gifted players were made available to professional teams.
In 2010, Zhidan was included as one of the pilot counties in a national program to promote soccer among students. The next year, the county government allocated an annual budget of 100,000 yuan ($15,400) to the Zhidan Football Association, with that grant increased to 3 million yuan in 2014.
The abundant financial support means all Zhidan students can receive free soccer training.
In 2015, the county’s soccer team won a provincial tournament. The success boosted Ding’s confidence and he was so in demand that one day he received more than 600 phone calls from parents and potential players.
The 41-year-old put his personal health to one side. He postponed surgery to remove a steel plate from his spine until last year during the COVID-19 outbreak.
To date, about 20,000 students have received soccer coaching at 23 schools in Zhidan.
Young stars
Fu Jie, who plays for China’s thirdtier professional team Beijing Chengfeng, is one of the most successful players from Zhidan.
The 19-year-old started playing soccer in 2009. He trained hard after school and played games at weekends.
In 2013, Fu joined the Evergrande Football School, a soccer academy set up by the Evergrande Group, a major investor in one of China’s top clubs, Guangzhou FC.
“Soccer has changed my life,” Fu said. “Mr Ding brought me to the world of soccer. He has given me a new option in my life. For young people who are gifted at soccer and can endure hardship, playing soccer is a good choice.”
Zhidan’s attempts to popularize soccer are now being replicated across China. In 2015, the Zhidan Football Association began to work with a top-level middle school in Hebei province.
Jin Qiaoqiao is one of the first girls to benefit from the collaboration. Her impressive soccer skills led her to being accepted into Handan No 1 Middle School, after she obtained a high score in the entrance exam.
“If it weren’t for soccer, I wouldn’t be able to leave Zhidan and have a better life,” she said.
With sporting prospects like Fu and Jin sprouting across the country, Ding is still plowing the Loess Plateau in search of grassroots champions.