Chinese players given 'patriotic education' ahead of World Cup qualifiers
Beijing: Chinese football players are warming up for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers by receiving "patriotic education" and even learning about the history of the Community Party, media reports said.
President Xi Jinping has grand ambitions for China to host and even win a World Cup, but the national side is currently ranked 77th and struggling to make the next edition, in 2022 in Qatar, reports AFP.
With China due to mark the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party's founding in July, the squad took time out from training under coach Li Tie to visit the site in Shanghai where the party held its founding meeting in 1921, the news agency reported.
"In the view of the Chinese Football Association and coaching staff, it is crucial for the players to strengthen their sense of mission, responsibility and honor by receiving patriotic ideological education before participating in major competitions," the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper reported as quoted by AFP, noting that "patriotic education delivers positive energy."
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