When the Sino-Japanese crisis occurred in Temple Street, Wang Hengyue, the President of the Republic of China, was receiving a group that had returned with great honors: the [China] National Football Training Team!
In 1919, the Fourth Far Eastern Games was held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The Chinese football team, representing China, won the Far Eastern Games football championship for the third time in a row.
When Wang Hengyue learned the news, he was a little stunned.
〖中〗The national football team actually once dominated the Far East? Also, it won three consecutive championships in the Far East Sports Games?
This sounds a little weird.
After asking carefully, it turns out that the Far East Games are sponsored by three countries: China, Japan, and the Philippines, and are held alternately in major cities in the Far East every other year.
It has been held three times so far, and we are lobbying Siam, Singapore, India and other countries to participate.
"Okay, okay, China has also been the overlord of football in the Far East." Wang Hengyue said with a smile.
The President of the Republic of China is a standard football player. Football and basketball are all extremely popular. But in this era, where can I go to see these sports?
When he accidentally heard that the Chinese football team had won three consecutive championships, Wang Hengyue couldn't wait to meet the delegation from the Far East Games of the Republic of China.
This decision is a bit baffling.
Acting State Prime Minister Wang Qinglu was reporting the situation to the President. The President suddenly came up and scratched his head: "Well, I've heard of football, but what exactly is football?"
"Twenty-two people are kicking a ball around." Wang Hengyue said this. Seeing that Wang Qinglu kept glancing at the documents in his hands while listening, he simply grabbed them and put the documents aside, excitedly
Talked to him.
Wang Qinglu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Japan had already launched an attack on the Chinese navy, but the president didn't care about this huge matter. Instead, he discussed with himself what football was?
The more Wang Hengyue talked, the more excited he became, and his voice became louder and louder. Later, the guards outside were also a little curious. The words "offensive and defense" kept coming from inside. The President and the Prime Minister were talking.
What are we talking about? Where are we going to attack and where are we going to defend?
Good guy, it seems that the President is preparing for war again.
Wang Hengyue talked about a football topic for half an hour. At the end, he stood up and said: "Let's go and see those [athletes]!"
"But how to deal with the situation on Temple Street?" Wang Qinglu seemed hesitant.
"There are a few flies flying around, don't care about them." Wang Hengyue waved his hand, as if he didn't pay attention to the [Japanese] people at all: "No matter how hard the flies flutter, one slap will kill them to pieces. [Japanese]
If I want to make trouble, let them make trouble. If they want to threaten with force, we will fight tit for tat, and they will not be able to overturn the situation!"
Without further ado, take Wang Qinglu and leave...
Those [athletes] who came back from Manila, Philippines, never dreamed that as soon as they got off the ship, they would be notified that a big shot was going to meet them.
What they didn't expect even more was that this big shot turned out to be the President of the Republic of China!
In the past, the country was in constant war, and everyone was thinking about how to fight the war and how to get more rights. Who would pay attention to these [athletes]?
There are still people who know how to play running and boxing, but very few people in China know how to play football and basketball!
But now, the President of the Republic of China actually received them in person. At that moment, the inner excitement of these [athletes] was beyond words!
Tang Fuxiang, the meritorious captain of the three-time championship team of the Chinese football team and all the players, Ma John, the head coach of the Chinese basketball team, captain Huang Renrang and other members also received the President of the Republic of China Wang Hengyue, the Prime Minister of the Republic of China
Interview with Wang Qinglu.
"Okay, very good." Wang Hengyue asked the reserved team members to sit down, and kept saying "good" repeatedly: "It's amazing that I won the championship, and it's even more amazing that I won the championship three times in a row. That's it.
Based on this, if we work hard, we can win the championship next time!"
The president's kind words gradually eliminated the team members' restraint and nervousness.
Wang Hengyue suddenly asked: "What formation are you playing?"
Formation? What formation? Tang Fuxiang and his teammates were a little confused.
Wang Hengyue suddenly realized, at this time, why should he ask the players about the formation? Nowadays, football all over the world is the same. Everyone swarms up and kicks around and then leaves! There are often nine forwards.
"It can't work without formation." Wang Hengyue thought for a moment: "Modern football was invented by the British. Industrial revolution, the British are ahead of us, but now that football is booming, we have to be ahead of the British.
What is a formation? It is the eleven people on the football field. In addition to the goalkeeper, everyone else has to perform their duties. The scorers are divided into defenders, midfielders, forwards..."
Wang Hengyue talked non-stop and talked about all his knowledge and ideas about football. What are the "433" and "343" formations, what are the sidelines, mutual support, etc.
All the team members were dumbfounded and speechless.
There are so many truths in football? What is even more unimaginable is that the president is so proficient in football and knows so many "advanced concepts" that they have never heard of.
"South America has already started hosting the first 'South American Football Championship'. I think we can also form a few football teams and establish the 'Chinese Football Championship'." Wang Hengyue said with great interest: "In terms of funding, in the first two years
I will take over the package and help you get it started, but what about the future? When this event has an impact, we can form a club and attract the bosses to invest and sponsor, so that football can become professional."
These words are simply unheard.
Professional path? These [athletes] all have their own jobs. Some are company employees, some are dock workers, and some are students at school. They formed this football team together because of their hobbies. You can hear what the president said.
I mean, can I still get paid for playing football?
Wang Hengyue knows that his idea sounds a bit shocking in this era, but this path will soon begin all over the world.
As a person from another time and space, if I do it in advance, it can be regarded as my contribution to China's sports industry.
This time, the Chinese football team won the championship at the Far East Games, but the Chinese basketball team did not win anything. They felt a little embarrassed in front of the president.
Wang Hengyue has also discovered this. He said without caring at all: "It doesn't matter. You don't have to win the championship to play football. It's good to win the championship, but no one can blame you if you don't win."
As he spoke, the president started talking about "point guard," "shooting guard," "power forward," "small forward," and "center," which also made these basketball athletes dumbfounded.
Not only is the president a good military commander, is he also a wizard in sports? He actually put forward so many "advanced concepts" in football and basketball in one breath?
In fact, in Wang Hengyue's era, these were just basic common sense to people who knew a little bit about sports. But now, this has become a "reform" that is decades ahead of this era!
If we follow Wang Hengyue's thinking, China's military power may not be able to dominate the world, but football and basketball will definitely "seek defeat alone" around the world!
Wang Qinglu was listening on the side, and he also became interested in sports, but he was also amused. This great president is really energetic. He has to carry out military and political reforms, and he also has to deal with Japan and Russia.
Now he actually takes charge of sports business again.
Right now Japan is on Temple Street, ready to take action, but why does the President seem not worried at all?
Does he simply look down on Japan, or is he already confident?
Wang Hengyue, however, was still talking enthusiastically and continued to say: "I think you can make some preparations first. Get a few football teams and basketball teams. After half a year, we will gather in Nanjing to hold the first [China] Football Championship."
China Basketball Championship!”
The faces of these team members exuded excitement.
"In the first two years, we will operate a centralized system, and then we will disperse it to various cities, and strive to have our own teams in each city within three years." Wang Hengyue continued; "Our sports career starts from here.
We cannot delay China's sports career because of war. It will be very difficult for us to catch up when others are hundreds of meters ahead of us."
The players nodded frequently, and the head coach of the basketball team, John Ma, couldn't help but said: "Mr. President, I have been in [China] for many years. This is the first time that the [Chinese] government has the political power to do this."
Attach importance to sports. No, it is the same all over the world. Everyone focuses on how many battleships and aircraft and cannons the country has, but the president can still pay so much attention to sports in his spare time. This makes me very happy.
admiration."
"Battleships need to be bought, aircraft and cannons need to be bought, but sports must be promoted." Wang Hengyue pondered for a moment and said; "I don't necessarily want my country to be a big champion country, bring back as many championships as I can, but I have to make my country a sports country."
Great country!"
Everyone doesn’t quite understand. If it wins too many championships, wouldn’t it mean that it is a sports power?
"The number of championships and gold medals won has little to do with whether the country is a big sports country." Wang Hengyue seemed to have noticed everyone's doubts and patiently explained: "A real big sports country is built on the support of all people.
On the basis of fitness, no matter how many championships and gold medals we win, we cannot improve the sports quality of the entire people, and this will still be a failure."
The news that the President of the Republic of China personally met with members of the Chinese Far East Games delegation was quickly published in major newspapers.
The situation in Temple Street was so tense. Instead of expressing any opinions, the President of the Republic of China turned his attention to sports. No one knew what the President had in mind!!