In 1936, when the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was climbing snowy mountains and crossing meadows for a long march, there was also a team in the east of China that was struggling to advance, this team was the Chinese Olympic team, and they would go to Germany to participate in the Berlin Olympic Games that opened on August 1.
Among this Olympic team, there are two groups that are very eye-catching, one is a martial arts team, and martial arts is the essence of the country, which need not be repeated; the other is a football team. There are two reasons why this football team is so eye-catching. First of all, this football team is a strong team in Asia, and at that time, the Far East Games football match, equivalent to the current Asian Games, won 9 championships in 10 years, and its reputation is far and wide. Secondly, the superstar effect, this team has the "Asian generation of ball kings", once on a par with Pele's Li Huitang.
Flag bearer Li Huitang: Image source network
Like the Red Army fighters, the sports team was desperately underfunded, and they didn't even have to pay for the trip to Berlin. Compared with sitting in first class, staying in a five-star hotel, and eating a national football team with a special chef, the only thing they can do is to travel on a budget and rely on their strength to earn car and ship expenses. In particular, the football team with celebrity Lee Wai Tong, from Southeast Asia to India, played 27 matches in more than two months, drew 3 and won 24, raising nearly 200,000 Hong Kong dollars.
Player Tan Jiangbai: Tam Wing Lin's father
The money was raised, but when the team arrived in Berlin on July 20, the players were tired and injured. At the same time, the strange format of "strong against strong, weak to weak" allowed the Asian strong team national football team to meet the super strong British team in the first round. Starters of the match: Tan Jiangbai, Ye Beihua, Chen Zhenhe, Sun Jinshun, Bao Jiaping, Huang Meishun, Li Huitang, Xu Yahui, Feng Jingxiang, Li Tiansheng, Cao Guicheng. Among them, Tan Jiangbai is the father of the famous Tan Yonglin, who is nicknamed "Tan Tie Tou". In the match on August 6, the Chinese football team, which participated in the Olympic Games for the first time, met the world's strongest team, The United Kingdom, and according to records, the audience reached 8,000 people. The Chinese men's football team is not afraid, fighting for England in the whole field, and Sun Jinshun even scored a goal first, but it was ruled invalid. The Chinese team only conceded two goals in 55 minutes and 65 minutes due to too frequent short-term games and physical weakness. Although the Chinese team lost 0:2, they showed themselves in the Olympic Games and also showed the image of Greater China. Their performance of not fearing strong enemies has won praise and recognition, and the European media believes that the strength of the Chinese team has reached the level of Europe.
All the players participating in the Berlin Olympic Games for the first time
It is the good performance in the Olympic arena, and the Chinese team that won praise was eliminated by the United Kingdom, but it was favored and respected by other countries. On their way home, the team visited Germany, France, great Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria, playing nine games. In the match with the French Red Star team in Paris, the two sides drew 2-2, and the red star team leader also invited Li Huitang to join. In England, the Chinese team played two games, the first game against Erington, the men's football team tried their best, took a 2-0 lead in the first half, and then was pulled back by the home team with two goals, and finally shook hands at 2-2. In the second match, China lost 1-3 to Crystal Palace. 'The Chinese players play very well, their strikers are very strong, especially the No. 14 (Sun Jinshun) plays very well, it's all British style of play. British media commented on the Olympic men's football trail.
Although the Chinese team was eliminated by the United Kingdom, this tournament and the match with other European teams have allowed the world to know Chinese football and Chinese footballers, and has also won respect for Chinese football.