China’s celebrated Shaolin Temple is training young kung fu disciples to play football in the far-off hope of reversing the flagging fortunes of the national team, state media reported.
In a case of life imitating art the initiative will likely draw comparisons with hit 2001 Hong Kong comedy “Shaolin Soccer” about a group of washed-up monks from the temple who apply their superhuman moves on the soccer pitch.
The temple in central China’s Henan Province, famed for the acrobatic exploits of its warrior monks, opened a soccer training center last October that has more than 40 martial arts students learning the “beautiful game,” the Xinhua news agency said on March 24.
Photo: AFP
照片：法新社
Shi Yanlu, head coach at the training base, said the discipline and ethos of kung fu can translate into effective football.
“Chinese football is in the doldrums, and when some elements of Shaolin kung fu, particularly its spirit, are integrated into soccer, we hope it will help improve the training level of football,” he said in the report.
The legwork and physical coordination of kung fu could also help future Chinese footballers, he added.
China’s national football team is a laughing stock at home and a source of anguish for fans frustrated by the inability of the world’s most populous country to succeed in the world’s most popular sport.
China failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup, performed poorly in the Olympic Games and recently failed to reach the Asian Cup’s knockout stages.
China’s pro league also is reeling from a match-fixing, gambling and graft scandal that has resulted in the arrests of two former national football association heads and a number of lower-level officials.
The young recruits at the temple’s training center — all around 10 years old — are being coached by Alphonse Tchami, a retired Cameroonian national footballer, the report said.
The temple plans to attract more recruits among the 2,000 disciples who train at Shaolin, it added.
(AFP)
中國著名的少林寺正在訓練年輕功夫小弟子踢足球，為的是一個遙遠的期望─讓國家（足球）代表隊從萎靡不振的命運中重生。
以人生模仿藝術的例子來說，這個新方案將不免會被與二零零一年的香港喜劇片《少林足球》做比較。這部片述說一群從寺廟被淘汰的僧侶，在足球場應用他們超凡的武功身手的故事。
新華社三月二十四日說，位於華中河南省的這間以武僧特技招式立功名而著稱的寺廟，去年十月開設了一所足球訓練中心，招收超過四十名武術學生，學習這項「美麗的運動」。
培訓基地總教練釋延魯說，功夫的自律精神與道德觀可以讓足球運動更有內涵。
他在一篇報導中說，「中國足球處於低迷狀態，當少林功夫的一些元素，尤其是其精神與足球運動整合，足球訓練水平可望提高。」
他補充說，功夫的腿部技巧與與身體的協調能力，可能使中國未來的足球員獲益。
中國的國家足球代表隊在家鄉是個笑柄，這個世界上人口最多的國家對於世界上最熱門的運動顯露出無力感，是令粉絲失望的原因。
中國去年失去世界盃足球賽參賽資格、在奧運會表現差勁，最近也未能進入亞洲盃淘汰賽的門檻。
中國的職業（足球）聯賽正艱難地走出打假球、簽賭、收賄等醜聞，其中導致兩名前國家足球協會負責人與一些低階官員被逮捕。
報導指出，來自喀麥隆的退休足球員阿爾方索‧查米擔任教練，負責訓練招募到寺廟訓練中心的十歲左右年輕球員。
報導補充，這座寺廟計畫從少林寺受訓的兩千位弟子中吸引更多人加入。
（法新社／翻譯：林亞蒂）
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