From the Readers

People's health or sports medals

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-06 07:59

Comment on "Road to Brazil 2014 begins at home" (China Daily, June 25)

China has done wonders since 1949, especially because the establishment of the People's Republic of China was preceded by a century of abject poverty when the life expectancy of its people was just 35-40 years (like that of the Lakota Indians in the US today).

But the huge population increase, nearly three times the pre-1949 figure, also means that the country's attention should be directed toward more urgent matters, and not sports.

True, China is the first developing country to top the gold medals table at the Olympic Games, and its dominance in sports such as diving, badminton and ping-pong is well known.

But the most important goal for China, so far as sports is concerned, must be to ensure its people's physical well-being.

The government has, since the past 30 years, gotten most of its priorities wrong. It must step back and rectify its mistakes.

Football, or any other sport for that matter, isn't China's priority. The general health of its people is.

Larrydu, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 07/06/2010 page9)