SPORTS BATTLEFIELD CHINESE MAY BRINE DOMINO THEORY INTO SOCCER WORLD

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33869, 14 June 1975, Page 14

SPORTS BATTLEFIELD CHINESE MAY BRINE DOMINO THEORY INTO SOCCER WORLD

Bv

DENNIS BLOODWORTH

in Singapore. for the Observer F >rcipn \'c ■.< S

Shaken by the '.ecent Communist onslaught on the eastern outworks of the free-for-all world, some alarmists believe that Thailand may be the next domino to fall, but others fear it will be football. The Chinese have successively dominated international ping pong and badminton already, and as far back as January. 1973. they hinted that they might next make a bid to liberate soccer from capitalist oppression and exploitation.

! In mid-19/4 the Federation i of International Football . Associations refused to I expel Taiwan (as Peking dejmanded) in order to be able ; to admit China but last I month (May) the president ! visited the Chinese capital • and many now predict that the decision will be reversed when the F.I.F.A. Council : meets in September, opening ! the way for China to comi pete for the World Cup in 1978. This is no light matter — I least of all for the Chinese. : In a land where politics I commands in everything, the challenge is not sporting but , ideological, for final victory I in the field means the vindi- ' cation of the Thought of I Mao, the dictatorship of the proletariat, and the revolutionary “mass line”. In the rotten old China of 1 pre-Communist days say the j Maoists, winning was not | only physically but sociologically impossible. “I began swimming when I was seven and had not a worry in the world,” relates one youthful Chinese champion, “but my ’ father, . when he was my age . . .” He peddled cakes in the bitterly cold streets, bit-! I ing his lips to kill the pangs of hunger. What had he to ,do with sport? He was typical of the wretched millions that could: I only afford to think of bare survival. The parents of the dedicated young Chinese ! swimmers who shone at the Asian Games in Teheran lasti I September "toiled like beasts! of burden for landlords andj despots” and their "history was written in blood and; tears.” But then came the new' China, and in 1952, Chair-! man Mao himself ordered! “Promote physical culture! and sports and build up the l people’s health”. The miser- 1 able past was only a memory.! and the 2000 athletes! who competed in the nat-i ional trials for the Asian! Games were selected' “from among hundreds of! millions of working people taking part in sporting; activities.” claimed thel “Peking Review”. For how’ iong could the decadent capitalists stand against men like these? It is the campaign thaL counts, however, not the early battles, and in sport

lithe Chinese practise th< i| flexible military tactic; >i recommended by the ancien: -(Strategists of pre-Christian ‘[days. “Run today in order tc tjwin tomorrow.” the greai :( General Sun Tzu wrote ir l‘effect in the fourth centun t’B.C.. and the rule applies I; whether you are running I from a superior enemy or t,around a 400-metre track. The transient triumph i means little. “Championitis” and the “star" system are ■ "revisionist" and “bourgeois I reactionary” and disdained U by Chinese sportsmen. Then disarming motto of the mo- ! ment is “friendship first, (competition second," Whether it will always be !so remains to be seen, for : another Chinese tradition ;has it that the true man of destiny displays a plausible '(manner and noble intentions (when on the way up in i order to win friends and in- > fluence people, but ruth- • ! lessly casts them aside once • [he is at the top, setting his > I foot firmly on the fingers of all who try to climb after him. The Chinese are still on the way up, and early this month they took a trouncing (from a- visiting team of American athletes in cheerful, sportsmanlike fashion. They were learning — and Sun Tzu had said, “Know j your enemy, and in a hundred battles you will not lose." “Wait until we get to • Peking,” warned one Ameriican Olympic veteran after (his team had taken all the jpalms but one in Canton. (He should have said,"Wait • for 1976” — or later. China I has now applied to rejoin I the International Olympic (Committee and participate in | the Montreal Games next (year. I The latest stand of the (1.0. C. on the indispensable! (expulsion of Taiwan is not'' (known, but China will hold' i its Third National Games in! (September, and last month’ (Peking launched a mass: [physical training programme' in schools, factories, farms and army units throughout: the republic for everyone’ over 10. in which the accent is placed on track and field events and gymnastics. Mixed record The Chinese systematically select their national! soccer team from among the! millions also, but the Sing-( apore eleven that visited: China in April learned that the game was as yet popular! only in five provinces. Chi- •; nese footballers have aj mixed record abroad. They; convincingly demolished! India last year and won'; seven out of eight matches! played in Singapore, Thai-i land. Hong Kong and the Philippines, but at Teheran they lost to both Iraq and! Korea, and they have not played any of the star teams; of international soccer. They! have, however, a unique; reputation. “I will cut their hands offj if they misbehave . . . I will! definitely -not allow any! punch-ups” warned the? deputy-chairman, Mr Ganesan! of the Football Association; of Singapore when his team; took off for China, for the < Chinese have earned a name’ for clean, disciplined foot-1 ball, while the Singaporeans!' play like the rest of thel*

ejworld. The Singapore striker s'was suspended oy the foot it ball Association of Malaysia n , for fighting on the field in a O'zone match, even as he was it; touring China. n’ There have been nine sus y pensions from the Malaysia s[Cup tournament (three from g the Singapore team) in the r, first four months of thi; 'year, and three unjustified h walk-outs. And the police " have been busy. e During May alone they si fired teargas to stop a riot J'during a cup match ir r Kelantan, North Malay sia. ■ rushed to the rescue of a Jo- , hore linesman threatenec with mayhem by an irate e'visiting team, and manr handled unruly spectators •iifrom the pitch during a f match between Singapore sand Arsenal after rival sigroups of supporters had i starting flinging missiles. -; In China, however, the - reputation for sporting play sj provoked a faintly comical S|situation. The daunted SingLaporeans, mindful of their r deputy-chairman’s ferocious 11 strictures, pulled their tack s'les and played such ex’•quisitely polite salon soccer f that in Canton their hosts -•undiplomatically set the in- . itial tone for the tour by 1 thrashing them 4-1 Tw< t ; Singaporeans were injured • (eight in all during the t tour). "So then we dropped the friendship football. i played more physically, and [the results were better." Mt ■[Ganesan remarked drily ■[afterwards. Air of goodwill : The Chinese, as the team /manager put it, gave an j exhibition of "total football." I all ten players moving for- ! ward in unison in the attack [and back for the defence. (They were indefatigable, fit, (and fast, and their teamwork ; was a thing of beauty, for [since they shun star status, I they operated like a Com[munist collective. They : played good, straight games (to sporting, orderly, capacity (crowds which cheered both • sides but jeered neither, threw no stones or bottles ior cushions, started no riots, pulled no knives, tore up no seats. The same air of goodwill could be breathed in Peking again as it was on May 28 i when American and Chinese athletes embraced and jswapped shirts and ran (around the stadium hand in hand after I heir friendly 1 contest, in which no points (were scored (and the Chi[nese therefore lost no face); But on the same day brawjj ing fans drew blood when [Bayern Munich beat Leeds (United in Paris, Leeds protested against two decisions, and their supporters show- , ered the field with seats and (cans. There may be no valid ari gument for “liberating" a reluctant Thailand, but the ’Chinese can claim that there is a valid argument for "liberating” modern sport, with I its mixture of moneygrubbing and moronic hooliganism on and off the pitch. And a start could be made with slave-market soccer. It has no nationality, no sovereignty, no territorial integrity to bleat about. In this sense, if no other, it seems to be fair game. O.F.N.S. COPYRIGHT.

1—After a short time a companion becomes a ship’s officer. (6, 4) 7— A number of coaches required for attendants. (5) 8 — External part of the hospital? (7) 10—Unfavourably received — in need of a doctor. (5,

11 and 19Dn.—Amass a fortune, as carpet manufacturers do! (4. 1,4) 13—Intimidate a fellow farm-worker. (6) 15—Manages to clear the wine-cellar. (6) 17—Where are the visiting team? On holiday. (4) IS—Mechanical advantage always needed in bad gal? (8) 21— The lass could be bare-headed. (7) 22— In Bengal I assumed another name (5) 23— Carol Dewis is disturbed by the playwright. (5, 5)

, Down 1— Dismiss about fifty for being unconscientious. (5) 2— Ecclesiastical rules that will regulate the big guns, we hear! (5-3) 3— One old fool is upset. (6)

4— Floor-cover, one hears, lacking lustre. (4) 5— It’s hard work , for Virginia in complicated trial. (7) 6— Government tutor used by royalty on ceremonial occasions. (5-5) ■ 9—This entails knowing which gear to use. (5-5) 12—Headquarters dance is popular entertainment for Americans. (8) 14—This war will destroy the spirits. (7) 16—Notice the tool that will make a well-balanced board. (6) 19— See 11 Across. 20— The River Amazon envelops the girl. (4) (Solution on Monday) Yesterday’s solution Across. 6. Gainsay; 7. Local; 9. Spy: 10. Kidnapper. 12. Glider pilot; 15. Take lessons; 17, Gathering 19. Alp: 21. Ferry: 22. Fittest. 8 Down: 1, Rasps; 2. Inn; 3 Magi. 4 Compliant 5 Care for; 8, Snores: 11. Elsewhere; 13, Dreary- 14 Cabaret; 16, Close; 18, Naif; 20, Eta.