When we were students, we learned England as the motherland of football. But, in 2014 when we were researching for the Sports & Management Research Institute (SMRI) to prepare study materials, we read that more than 2000 years ago football was played in ancient China. FIFA, the top governing body of world football has also accepted that claim. They declared Cuju, the Chinese game as the oldest form of football just based on the reference in a military manual dated to the second and third centuries BC. Even though many other countries like Greece, Rome and parts of Central America claimed to have started football, the claim of China was accepted by FIFA.
When we were students, we learned Scotland as the motherland of Golf. But, now many historians argue that Chuiwan, a Chinese game played between the eighth and fourteenth centuries as the progenitor of Golf. We will not wonder even if China claims that Cricket also originated in China. Why does China claim the parentage of these sports?
In 1995, then British Prime Minister John Major claimed, “We invented the majority of the world’s great sports…. 19th century Britain was the cradle of a leisure revolution every bit as significant as the agricultural and industrial revolutions we launched in the century before.” It is true. Everyone knows sports. Getting its parenthood is like winning the hearts of the world. Like we respect many countries for their parenthood and patronage in science, technology and other areas of knowledge, China wants to be the leader of world sports. One way of being a leader is being the father.
Another method China adopts to become the world leader in world sports is investing in world football. Football is a real global game. China has an investment in many big football clubs in many countries. These clubs include Manchester City, Athletico Madrid, AC Milan and InterMilan. The City Football Group, co-owned by China Media Capital has investments in Manchester City F.C. (100%), Melbourne City FC (100%), Montevideo City Torque (100%), New York City FC (80%), Mumbai City FC (65%), Lommel S.K., Girona FC (44.3%), Sichuan Jiuniu F.C. (28%) and Yokohama F. Marinos (20%). Why does China invest in these football clubs?
- Fans Database- All these clubs have millions of followers on social media. China can sell their political and business propagandas through these social media channels to billions of global football. China can easily win the hearts of billions of football lovers through fabricated messages.
- Merchandise Sales– Sports merchandise sales are one of the major businesses of sports teams. Most of the teams are/were manufacturing their merchandise in countries like India. If China owns the club that business will go to Chinese companies.
- Football Making– Presently, FIFA guidelines stipulate the use of hand-sewn balls for the game. Pakistan and India are the major manufacturers of hand-sewn football balls. If China can influence FIFA (like China influenced WHO during Covid19 as the USA accuses), FIFA will allow machine-sewn footballs for the game. China is the major manufacturer of machine-sewn football balls. If it happens losers will be Pakistan and India like they lost their supremacy in field hockey due to the introduction of astroturf in the 1970s.
- Destroying European Football- In favour of the Chinese Premier League, China can decide the quality and destiny of European football in many ways such as through disinvestment and disengagement. Simple “Own to destroy” strategy.
China is invading world sports, especially football with the mission to be the world leader in sports. The best way for being a leader is by conquering the sports knowledge and business domains. The sports world, especially the Indian sports fraternity must be aware of the Chinese invasion of sports. It will destroy the Indian sports goods manufacturing industry. China can easily sell their political propaganda against India through the clubs it owns. Even the Indians, who love China-owned European clubs may start unconsciously believing that China is right in Indo-China clashes. It happens in the political domain. Some of the Indian political parties still believe that China is right on many issues. Fortunately, they are a minority. But, if that feeling spreads through sports, its influence will be disastrous. The sports-loving Indian young generation will hate India, in their heart, they will support China. So never underestimate the power of sports. It is the new Chinese version of Sports Diplomacy. Destroy the countries using sports.
When the City Football Group-owned Indian Super League (ISL) team Mumbai City F C, Indian sports fans celebrated and hailed it as the global acceptance of Indian football. Now China can fight against India on Indian grounds by using an Indian football club. Why does India restrict Chinese FDI in Indian companies? Sports Diplomacy or sports politics is much greater than what we think and know. India must play to defeat China in the sports domain.
