Football fan shares passion with next generation

For 40-year-old Shanghai resident Zhong Ming, it is never too late to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a professional football player and to share his passion for the sport with others.

Three years ago Zhong set up a non-profit football organization, called Love and Grace Football Club, to follow his childhood dream and combine it with his desire to serve the community.

Zhong's club offers children opportunities to play football. His enthusiasm has helped the children pursue their own football dreams and many of them now call him "football daddy". "I want them to be happy, following their dreams," he said.

Zhong's passion for the sport started when he saw Shanghai's team rise to victory after winning a gold medal in the 1983 National Games. Ever since he wanted to be a football player but his parents persuaded him against it as they said the sport "would not offer a good living".

To keep his parents happy, Zhong got himself a decent job in his hometown after graduating from university in Singapore. Time passed and life went as planned, but deep in his heart his passion for football remained.

"I love football and I want to contribute to society. Now I have found a way to do both. Love and Grace Football Club uses football as a carrier to offer members opportunities to share their happiness and dreams," Zhong said.

The club offers free football coaching to several local schools on a regular basis. It also visits welfare services and looks after vulnerable members of the society such as children from poor families and disabled people.

As a BMW car owner, Zhong joined BMW Warm-Heart Fund activity last year and visited Shanghai Violet Primary School, where most of the students are children of migrant workers.

WHF and dealers often organize car owners to visit the school to donate teaching materials and take part in activities with the students.

After seeing that the school didn't offer any football training for the students, Zhong decided to get his club to partner with the WHF and offer sessions every weekend.

"Everyone deserves to have happiness and dreams," Zhong said, "I couldn't pursue my dream when I was young, but I hope the same won't happened to others."

He said children were key to the rise of Chinese football so he wanted Love and Grace and the WHF to do something to help children peruse their football dreams.

"We are exploring ways to help more children to know, to play and love football, so that the country can have good players in the future," Zhong said, "It's our responsibility to pass our love of football to the next generation."

According to Zhong, the WHF offers a platform where people with care and compassion can do something meaningful, make friends and enjoy the happiness they share.

"This is the meaning of public welfare, to enlighten others and ourselves," Zhong said.

(China Daily 04/20/2015 page7)