
<b>姚明“眼红”国足改革方案</b>

Former NBA star Yao Ming said Monday that China's bold step to revive the popularity of football sport in schools was on the right track and could even raise "envy" from circles of other sports.

前NBA明星姚明3月9日表示，中国在校园重振足球运动的声望这一大胆的举措是走对路了，这样的举措甚至可能使其他体育领域“嫉妒”。

China's central reform leading group, captained by President Xi Jinping who is a football fan, in February kicked off a plan to improve its football performance, which has embarrassed the nation in recent years.

担任中烟改革领导小组组长的习近平主席是一个足球迷，该小组今年二月启动了中国足球改革方案，意在提升近年来让国家尴尬蒙羞的国足表现。

More efforts would be made at the grassroots level to nurture young talents and to ensure the integration of professional clubs, school teams and amateur teams, according to the decision.

根据决定，国家将加大力度培养基层青少年足球人才，确保专业足球俱乐部，学校队伍和业余队伍的集成。

"I am very glad to see that school football has been included in the plan," said Yao, a member of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. "It is a very correct decision."

“我很高兴看到校园足球被纳入这个方案当中，”作为中国政治协商会议全国委员会委员之一的姚明表示，“这个决定很正确。”

"As one who is from the circle of basketball, I must say that I am very envious (of the plan)," he told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the top political advisory body.

“作为篮球界的一员，我必须说我很嫉妒（这个方案），”他在全国政协记者会上告诉记者。

"I hope to see more details about how to implement the plan including the roles that different departments and sectors would play in promoting the reform," he said.

“我希望了解更多关于完善这个方案的细节，包括不同部门在实施这项改革中的起到的作用。”他表示。

"The biggest problem of China's football game is that it is too far from schools," he said. "Any cultivation of talent, without the basis of school education, would not be realistic or sustainable."

“中国足球最大的问题在于脱离了校园，”他称。“离开了基本的学校教育，任何人才的培养都是不现实的，无法维持的。”

"I hope there will be another plan that promotes basketball in schools in the near future," he added.

“我希望在不久的将来，会有另一个方案开展校园篮球，”他补充道。

China's move to raise the level of football game came as its national team has failed to qualify for the World Cup for the past decade.

在过去十年中，中国国家足球队一直未能入围世界杯，如今中国开始着手提高足球比赛的水平了。

China must overcome its "defective system," which has impeded the development of the sport, and provide better "institutional guarantees" for its development, according to the central reform leading group's decision.

根据中央改革领导小组的决定，中国必须改变阻碍了足球发展的有缺陷的体系，为其发展提供更好的制度保障。
