Taiwan needs more small soccer fields or multi-use parks where the sport can be played so that young people can play more matches, soccer promoters told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei yesterday.
With the FIFA World Cup to start in Qatar in November, sports groups, sports officials and lawmakers announced the 1,000 Feet Project to develop soccer venues across the nation.
CTFA deputy secretary-general Chiao Chia-hung (焦佳弘), the Taiwan Parks and Playgrounds for Children by Children group and the Soccer Moms and Dads Support Group were joined by Democratic Progressive Party legislators Chen Hsiu-pao (陳秀寶) and Chuang Ching-cheng (莊競程), and independent Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) said that the 1,000 Feet Project has received enough signatures on the Public Policy Online Participation Network Platform to merit consideration by government agencies.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The project is mainly aimed at establishing more small soccer fields or multi-use sports parks at which soccer can be played, which would give children and young people more chances to play pickup or five-a-side games, Chiao said.
The project would help cultivate interest in soccer at the grassroots level, but a year has passed since the project was initiated and the Sports Administration has done nothing, he said.
“We have not seen any progress. There has been no action to promote the project,” he said.
The parents’ group said that kids love to kick a soccer ball around, “but it is difficult to find a suitable place.”
“Kids cannot play soccer as easily as other sports,” a group spokeswoman said. “They can go to many places to use a basketball court, but there are few soccer pitches for pickup games.”
There are soccer fields in Taipei and New Taipei City, but ground managers charge NT$2,000 an hour to use them, which is too much, so kids play on the grass beside the fields with water bottles for goal posts, she said.
“Enthusiasm for soccer increases every year, but people tell me they have problems finding pitches,” Huang said. “Taiwan lacks small pitches for kids and youths, and standard ones for proper games.”
The project should prompt the government to develop more soccer pitches and facilities, he said.
“With 12,000 people registered at soccer associations nationwide, the Sports Administration should allocate funding for these plans,” he said.
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