Obstacles to soccer growth falling away

Following a recent move by China's top sports body to give up its authority over the Chinese Football Association, a local sports authority in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, said it will mirror that action and cut its own ties to the local football association.

The Guangzhou Football Association will become a full-fledged nongovernmental organization, with independent administration and internal control of structure, finance, salaries and personnel, according to Xu Jianping, deputy director of the Guangzhou Sports Bureau.

Guangzhou's reshuffling of its sports administration is the first of its kind at a regional level to follow the top sports authority's move to delink itself with the soccer association.