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Interview:Mr. Hu Jianping Head Coach of the China PR U-14 National Team

Profile：
I was born on June 24, 1964. As a player, I played mainly as a center midfielder for the club, Beijing GUOAN. I have experience as a national team member too. I retired in 1997, but in the same year I participated in the AFC Cup Winners Cup and played against Japan’s Verdi Kawasaki (currently Tokyo Verdi 1969). We beat Verdi Kawasaki, which at the time had one of Asia’s most outstanding players, Kazuyoshi Miura, on its roster. I cannot describe how proud and happy I was to have won. In 1998, I stayed with Beijing GUOAN as a playing manager. I then decided to concentrate on coaching, and I served as assistant coach for my long-standing team, Beijing GUOAN. Last year I was offered a coaching job by the China FA, and I am now in charge of the youth team that will be competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. I took part in the EAFF U-14 Youth Festival 2006 in China as the head coach of the China PR U-14 national team.

-- Review of the EAFF U-14 Youth Festival 2006 in China --
We opened the event with a 3-0 victory over Japan, an achievement hailed by many, by this competition is a “festival.” I don’t intend to rejoice or cry over each win/defeat. I only started coaching the U-14 team this year, and there was precious little time to prepare the team for this competition. Right now is the time to identify each player’s features and qualities, and in that sense I gained a lot of information. The same goes for the players. This event gives them a valuable opportunity to play other East Asian teams. My players gained various lessons after each competitive match, and I believe they have grown tremendously in a short period of time. I wish to thank all those who contributed to the outstanding organization of the competition.

--On the Current Status of China PR’s Youth Development--
With over 1 billion people, China is the most populous nation in the world. Football, which is a national sport, obviously benefits from this factor, and it is no exaggeration to say that China has an abundance of talent. Last year I participated in the FIFA World Youth Tournament held in the Netherlands as head coach of China’s U-20 national team. In the group league, we won every single match against such powerful teams as Ukraine, Turkey and Panama, and advanced to the final round. Although we were defeated by Germany 2-3 in the Round of 16, we played evenly and it was a close scoring match. We should not overlook the fact that the football association is putting a lot of effort into youth development in China. Young players gain experience at their regional clubs or youth teams under professional clubs, and they have an opportunity to play in numerous competitions held throughout the country. The training center system and scouting in China are solid and far-reaching, with an effective method of discovering talent from all corners of our expansive nation firmly in place.

--Coaching Style--
In Chinese football, there is a regional difference—the north is more physical and the south is more technically advanced. What I hold in common for all players is to teach them the basic elements that are important to football and at the same time teach them to have fun. As long as they are not professional, I pay close attention to avoid their putting too much emphasis on winning. The biggest difference compared with my own experience as a player is that today’s players are physically taller, due to the improvement in their living environment. It is not surprising to find a 14-year-old who stands taller than 180cm. Height and physical power are a big advantage in football. The chances of scoring on a set play increase dramatically with physical advantage. But it is not absolute. The most important aspect is technique. That is what is lacking most in Chinese players, and we must work harder to improve our skills.

--Future Objectives--
Unfortunately, China was eliminated in the preliminary competition for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. However, we have many talented players among the U-14 generation, which holds the future of Chinese football. I hope we can continue on this path and make further progress. To accomplish our objectives, it is imperative that they are exposed to constant training and match competition on a regular basis. Everyone involved in Chinese football should unite and contribute to the development of good players who will some day be selected to the national “A” team. But don’t expect any special results in the 2008 Beijing Olympics or the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa yet!

EAFF Family Gathers in Beijing, Extends Warm Welcome to Northern Mariana Islands

The EAFF U-14 Youth Festival 2006 China was organized in the capital, Beijing, from July 21 to 25. All nine members of the East Asian Football Federation plus the guest, Northern Mariana Islands, comprised the ten teams that competed in the event. The teams played a round-robin format, followed by a playoff. “This is a festival so results are secondary,” claimed Annathurai Ranganathan, Development Officer of AFC. Still, the players demonstrated their passion for football, and their enthusiasm was clearly displayed in each heated match. The second day of the tournament featured Japan against DPR Korea. The 0-0 standstill was broken when DPR Korea scored with only five minutes left in the match, delivering Japan a blow. It was the players on the pitch who were quick to encourage the devastated team, telling themselves, “The match isn’t over yet. Come on!” Battling the fatigue from playing in the heat, which often recorded over 30 degrees centigrade, Japan kept attacking the Korean goal in an effort to produce an equalizer. Japan could not break DPR Korea’s concentration and solid defense, but although they were defeated, their “never give up” attitude received warm applause from the entire crowd. “We are very pleased with the outcome of this event,” stated Zhao Jinfu, EAFF Assistant President and Match Commissioner of the competition. “Only six teams took part in the previous competition held in Guam the year before last. Based on the notion that we are friends and family, we opened the door to all member associations.” He also explained that they worked on expanding the program. “For the purpose of promoting friendship, a ‘Get-Together Party’ was organized on the second day. Each team was asked to give a performance—sing, dance or whatever they choose. Four days before the opening of the competition, an excursion to tourist attractions was arranged. People have different interests, so we offered several options, such as the Great Wall or Tiananmen Square, and everyone got to choose what they would like to see. We believe it was positive from the development point of view to play so many matches in a single competition, and those who played against stronger teams were able to gain valuable experience.” Indeed, the participating teams expressed their appreciation and compliments to the organizers. “It is essential to take part in high level games to identify the players’ strengths. We gained a lot from this tournament.” (Hu Jianping, Head Coach of the China PR U-14 national team) “With limited space for football, the environment in Macau is often severe. I have only praise for the outstanding conditions here, the well-groomed natural turf on which we were able to play this international competition. I believe the players developed a deeper devotion for football, and this is precisely what is needed for the future of football in Macau.” (Masanaga Kageyama, Head Coach of the Macau-China national team and Team Manager of the U-14 national team)

The most epoch-making event of the competition was the participation of Northern Mariana Islands as the guest team. “The Northern Mariana Islands are working towards becoming an affiliated member of AFC and FIFA. EAFF would like to fully support their objective. We extended an invitation so that they can gain international match experience. We also wished to enjoy football together and to strengthen our friendship,” explained Mr. Zhao Jinfu. Despite their efforts, the Northern Mariana Islands lost all ten matches, but the association’s General Secretary, Peter Coleman, said cheerfully, “We only started seriously playing football from August of last year. The heat did not bother us, but our lack of experience was evident. We are at the starting line so we are absorbing every new thing that we encounter.” On his association’s ambition to join AFC and FIFA, Mr. Coleman continued, “This January, members of EAFF paid a visit to Saipan. Not only did they offer us advice but also promised our Governor, the Honorable Benigno Repeki Fitial, and Deputy Governor, the Honorable Timothy Pangelinan Villagomez, their support towards our football development. EAFF treats us as a friend and extends a warm welcome to us. We still have an enormous amount of work to do to be recognized by FIFA and AFC, but I am optimistic. Our football family is united towards reaching our goal.” The Northern Mariana Islands made a historical debut on the international scene at the EAFF U-14 Youth Festival 2006 China, and the world will be anticipating their future progress.

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