Inner Mongolia to absorb Brazil's experience to cultivate soccer players

(Xinhua)

Updated: 2015-11-16

HOHHOT, China, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Fluminense, one of most renowned Brazilian soccer clubs, has agreed to help build soccer academies in China in an effort to foster talents for the world's most populous nation.

A delegation from Novo Rio Soccer-Guerreirinhos do Fluminense, the academy affiliated to the Fluminense club, paid a visit to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region this week to discuss cooperation details.

"We hope to build a few soccer academies for different age groups in Inner Mongolia, and their philosophy of soccer and youth training program will be very helpful," said Tan Jingfeng, head of the Inner Mongolia Sports Bureau.

Waldemar Lemos, a coach of Novo Rio Soccer-Guerreirinhos do Fluminense, stressed the importance of systematic training.

"Brazil boasts a large pool of soccer talents, indeed. But they can't succeed automatically, they also need to go through systematic training," said Lemos, who has vast coach experiences globally. Apart from domestic clubs, Lemos had also worked as a coach previously in Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Jose Carlos Gervazoni Gomes, executive of Novo Rio Soccer-Guerreirinhos do Fluminense, pointed out that in Brazil, many talents are spotted through community soccer events and it could be applied to China as well.

"But it takes time. You should not expect to succeed in one or two years," said Gomes.

China has qualified for the World Cup finals only once in 2002, while Brazil is the only team that has won the World Cup five times.