Students from football-mad China have realised a dream that will turn millions of their fellow countrymen and women green with envy – by training with Premier League football team Leicester City.
FOOTBALL CRAZY: Foxes manager Claudio Ranieri and striker Shinji line-up with the students (pic: Plumb Images)
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) and Leicester City Football Club’s flourishing partnership has handed the students an opportunity of a lifetime to work with coaches at the Premier League club’s Belvoir Drive training ground.
The icing on the cake for their four-day training experience came when they got to meet Foxes manager Claudio Ranieri and the team’s Japanese international striker Shinji Okazaki.
Students from the Sunwah International Business School at Liaoning University, which is in the Shenyang area of China, visit DMU each year as part of a long-standing partnership which sees the two institutions share teaching and learning experiences.
This year Sunwah made a generous donation to pay for 18 students to not only receive coaching at Leicester City but study relevant subjects at DMU, including Sports Law, Sports History, Sports Culture and English Language.
It is estimated more than 300 million Chinese people, almost five times the entire population of the UK, tune in to watch English Premier League football each week and fans are well-versed in Leicester City’s successful start to the season.
Achieving great things in the world’s most popular sport is high on the Chinese government’s agenda after self-confessed fan President Xi called for the nation to become a footballing super power.
The intention is to see the national team climb up the world rankings, host the World Cup in the near future and eventually win it. Women’s football is leading the way, with their international team currently ranked 12th in the world.
The Liaoning students, who have been kitted out in full Leicester City gear for their stay, intend to go back to China and use their newly acquired skills to coach junior school pupils.
Student Liu Jing Ying, 23, who is studying accounting, said: “We have all been so excited. Through the training we hope we can improve our football and take the skills back to China. We know Leicester City players like Shinji and Jamie Vardy. They are very popular. We also like DMU very much and hope to study here.”
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Fellow student Guo Chuning, 21, who is also studying accountancy at Liaoning, added: “It is really cool training with Leicester City and I’m really excited. My friends are really, really jealous that I am training with a Premier League football club.
“There are so many pitches here (at Belvoir Drive). In China we do not have so many grass pitches. I like that we are attending lectures at DMU and we all support Leicester City now.”
Liaoning academic Sam Xiaohui Wang, who has travelled to DMU with the students, said: “Football is a popular game but this trip is not just about promoting the sport. It is also about learning to perform as a team.
“A good performance in football is achieved as a team and playing together helps build team spirit.
“We hope these students can go back to China and teach the younger generation these skills.”
Leicester City Chief Executive Susan Whelan said: “The profile Leicester City has established and will continue to develop through the global reach of the Premier League can be a massive asset to the city of Leicester, its people and its business community.
"Our on-going work with DMU is a fine example of the results that can be achieved through tapping into that potential and it has been our pleasure to help them extend this opportunity to the students of Liaoning University this week.”
Posted on Wednesday 30 September 2015