Second-tier players in regular football can become stars in an alternate version of the game

At one stage, Wan Chao's football career seemed to be over, but now he has been given extra time, and he is reveling in the opportunity to score goals.

In 2007, he was playing in the Chinese Super League, the mainland's top-level. He switched to the China League, sanctioned by the Chinese Football Association, in 2008 and 2009. A year later, he says, he felt he was making no progress and returned to studies at Qingdao University of Science and Technology in 2010.

But Wan, 29, has never really given up on the game. When a friend suggested late that year that he should try for a spot on the national beach soccer team he jumped at the chance.

"Perhaps I do not really have what it takes for the regular game, but I was keen on continuing to build a soccer career," Wan says. "Beach soccer is a great spectacle, and I think two things I have to offer the regular game - my height and flexibility - are perfect for the beach version."

Wan soon got the chance to play in the second Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman, two months later.

"It was exciting to represent my country in the game, and I played for all I was worth," Wan says.

In Oman, he realized how far behind other countries China was in the sport, and he resolved to do his bit to help it catch up. The more he played, the more the game's quick pace appealed to him. And there were perks, too, he says: "Most of the games are held on picturesque beaches, and that has allowed me to enjoy beautiful scenery in different countries."

However, the thing that has given him most satisfaction is realizing his dream of representing his country in the sport.

"Whenever they play the national anthem at these games I feel a swelling of pride. It's an unforgettable experience," Wan says. And that has encouraged him to keep on improving his game.

Everything is different

Though the two forms of the game may seem similar, for him, apart from use of the feet, everything is different.

"For example, you have to keep the ball moving in the regular game and prepare for the next move, whereas in beach soccer you need to stop the ball at your feet and keep it under control longer," he says.

Kicking a ball aloft to pass it to another player requires a special technique in beach soccer, and there may be only four players in China who have mastered it, he says.

The ability to bring airborne balls under control is also critical, and the longer a team can keep the ball in the air, the more pressure it can put on an opponent.

For many players of the regular game, overhead and volley shot skills are difficult to learn, but they are essential to beach soccer. As a way of keeping excitement at fever pitch, beach soccer has a rule that in effect gives players doing spectacular overhead kicks more space: Other players are not allowed to make contact with them as they are doing so.

One thing Chinese players lack is physical stamina, Wan says.

"We used to have a team that was close to being the world's best, but we have regressed and are now back at square one. The game in China has just not grown. We need to do a lot more, and hiring world-class coaches would be a step in the right direction."

One drawback for anyone interested in playing beach soccer is that it's hard to make a living at it. Part-time players often have another job.

Wan has taken part in practically all competitions that involved the Chinese national team. He has played in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualifying matches and was invited by an Italian team to compete in the country's Serie A last year.

Competitions

Playing overseas has enabled him to hone his skills with many top players and visit some of the best European beach clubs.

"Beach soccer players are just as well-known as those in the regular game," he says.

In Portugal, players such as Joao Victor Saraiva, better known as Madjer, are as popular as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wan says, adding that in Europe and the United States, where the beach game has received serious attention, it draws really big crowds.

There is lively interaction between DJs and spectators, and each game is like a festival, Wan says.

Although China's beach soccer is at a low ebb at the moment, Wan says he hopes that those who love the sport can help the team grow so much that Chinese teams become serious contenders in competition.

"I want to stay in the game until I am 34 or 35," he says. "And I hope I can be a coach afterward and cultivate more beach soccer talent."

(China Daily European Weekly 11/11/2016 page16)