Growing Emphasis On Sport In China

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30945, 29 December 1965, Page 9

Growing Emphasis On Sport In China

[V/ritten for "The Press" by C. V. WALTERS

rpHE Peking Institute of x Physical Culture is one of 10 such institutes in China and its staff of 370 teachers is concerned with the training of 1500 students. The students fall into two groups —those who join the staffs of secondary schools and universities, where they be-

come physical education instructors themselves, and those whose task is to coach sports teams and sportsmen in the community at large. Students are obliged to have a complete secondary school course as a prerequisite for entry, and the Institute has also accepted foreign students from Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan. The training period is three years, and special classes are conducted for research work. In addition there is a special course of one year’s duration for an additional -qualification for teachers who are not specialising in physical education.

The Institute also conducts its own secondary school for young people who have made an early decision to specialise. A survey of the student roll indicates that about half of them are from the families of workers and peasants, and the remainder from families engaged in more intellectual pursuits. The full course covers the subjects of physiology, anatomy, sports hygiene, kinesiology, psychology, education, theory of physical education, athletics, gymnastics, ball games, swimming, Chinese boxing, and weightlifting. In addition the students must take one foreign language, either English or Russian, spend a brief training period in the People’s Liberation Army, work for a short term each year in a factory or on a farming commune, and study the subjects of politics and philosophy. The Institute covers an area of 600,000 square metres, on which are 10 gymnasia and 66 fields for different sports. To enter a gymnasium is to be rather overwhelmed; it is 23 yards wide and 85 yards long. More overwhelming for me were the performances of some of the primary school girls who were engaged in some advanced tumbling and somersaulting exercises, and the grand circles of some secondary school boys, of whom some required super-

vision with ingenious safety devices.

It seems that they are human after all! But I fell to musing upon how China’s leading gymnasts would fare at the Olympic Games. There is an indoor swimming pool of 55 metres in length with eight lanes, and the water was heated to a temperature of 76 degrees. Another building was so vast that its indoor track of 200 metres almost escaped notice.

Nationally, sport is controlled in China by the AllChina Athletic Federation, whose members are elected by the delegates from the regional sports organisations.

In addition to their gymnastic prowess the Chinese lead the world in table tennis, and their badminton players must occupy almost as exalted a position in view of the manner in which they have disposed of the Indonesians.

Their association footballers appear to possess highly developed ball control and dribbling prowess, and they are obviously fit and fast. Their main weaknesses appear to be a tendency to dribble too far and at too great a pace, with the result that there is too high a proportion of intercepted passes. I saw three matches involving six of the leading provinces, and these weaknesses were com-

mon to all—and so were the skills. The keenness with which these games were contested was in no way diminished by the fact that the respective opponents had met beforehand to discuss with each other their respective strengths and weaknesses, a practice which is intended to assist in raising standards and breed good sportsmanship.

This latter quality receives much publicity, and the behaviour of the footballers in these matches was exemplary. There was an occasional glare, but for the most part players picked themselves up or accepted an adverse ruling by the referee with a grin. The popularity of football is growing slowly, although it is receiving much encouragement from the authorities. For the moment the Chinese are more interested in table tennis, basketball, volleyball, badminton and athletics; and they are responding well to the national learn-to-swim campaign. All the equipment is made in China and appears to be of excellent quality; and their football stadiums were splendidly prepared, the pitches resembling smooth lawns. But the most satisfying achievement of all these activities is the improved health of the people and the increased physical stature of the younger generation.