China is investing in young soccer players for a bigger goal. (Photo : Getty Images)
China launched its first-ever soccer college that offers a four-year course on the sport as part of the country's bid to become a "soccer superpower" by 2050.
The Guangzhou Sport University is the first college in the mainland that established a course focused on soccer training, the South China Morning Post reported.
Starting off with around 100 to 150 students, the university has been assigned the task of honing high-school graduates to reach their full potential in the sport.
Aside from the players, the college is also set to train coaches and referees who would later be sent to different schools in the country to cascade information and exercises to other young aspiring Chinese soccer players.
The specific details of the curriculum have yet to be unveiled as it still undergoes "constant exploration and improvement," according to Zhou Yi, the college's executive dean.
The program, which was launched on Saturday in an auditorium at the university, will be one of China's first few steps toward the recently announced national goal of becoming a soccer superpower by 2050.
Last week, Beijing revealed the plan that echoes President Xi Jinping's love for the sport, which he lovingly described as "the beautiful game."
The plan was to make China "a first-class football superpower," per a report from BBC News.
According to the outlet, China is currently ranked 81st out of 204 countries participating in FIFA all over the world.
While they may have overcome more than half of the contenders, the Asian giant remains at the tails of some of the world's smallest countries such as Panama, Haiti and Benin when it comes to soccer.
Meanwhile, Forbes deemed China's ultimate soccer goal as "a microcosm of the contemporary Chinese political-economic model," adding that it is a sign that the country's "authoritarian machine" is ready to take flight.
