A training base for Shaolin soccer has been established at the Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School in Henan Province, as the popularity of soccer in China continues to rise, according to a report by the Global Times.
Officially unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 10, the training facility is a joint project of the local government and the martial arts school, which is located near the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, considered the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu.
"We have so far set up a boys' Shaolin soccer class and a girls'class, with each class having about 50 students aged 10 to 12," said an employee of the Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School surnamed Xue in a statement to the Global Times.
The local government allocated three senior soccer coaches to the school. These coaches selected students based on physical fitness and interest, Xue said.
Both classes will officially start next week.
"To set up this soccer training base is a bold attempt to bring Shaolin Kung Fu into soccer to deepen soccer reform and to create a new brand of 'Shaolin soccer,'" said Zhang Wenshen, director of the Sports Bureau of Henan Province.
Organizers have plans to expand Shaolin soccer classes in the near future, dividing students based on interest in order to cater to those who have an interest in the sport. The martial arts school has more than 35,000 students coming from all over the world.
The Chinese government passed an ambitious soccer reform plan in February to develop soccer in the country. Since then, soccer classes, clubs and training schools have emerged nationwide.
President Xi Jinping, a known soccer fan, has been vocal of his support for the development of soccer in China and even set a goal of hosting the World Cup.
Government statements did not mention any connection between the idea to boost soccer with Shaolin Kung Fu and the widely successful 2001 film "Shaolin Soccer" starring Stephen Chow. The film was about a former Shaolin monk who applied his kung fu skills to playing soccer.