Ma Guoli has been ranked as one of the top 50 most influential people in sport globally. Provided to China Daily

Ma Guoli does not have the skills to shoot a basket like Yao Ming, clear a hurdle like Liu Xiang or swing a racquet like Li Na. But his achievement in China's sports industry may also deserve a gold medal.

The 58-year-old has steered the sports channel of China's national television network, CCTV, and the broadcasting team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Now he works as the chief executive of Infront China, the China branch of the Swiss-based sports marketing giant, which owns the marketing rights for the Chinese Basketball Association, the nation's widely popular professional basketball league, and national teams.

"Now, I'm feeling at ease with the current situation. I'm enjoying life," said Ma who was once ranked by UK's Guardian newspaper as one of the top 50 most influential people in sport globally.

"I will continue to try my best to do my current job, but I won't push myself that hard as before."

During his 20-plus-year tenure with CCTV, Ma, started out as a cameraman covering the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, founded CCTV-5, China's first dedicated sports TV channel in 1995 and turned it into the absolute first choice of billions of China's sports fans in the next ten years.

"When I saw the opening theme of the sports channel running for the first time the CCTV studio on January 1, 1995, it felt like I had a newborn baby," Ma recalled.

However, Ma did not expect to have another career opportunity as the age of 52. Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co Ltd (BOB), a joint venture between the Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games and Olympic Broadcasting Services, owned by the International Olympic Committee, reached out to him, asking him to mastermind the massive broadcasting task of the Beijing Olympic Games.

"If I was five or six years younger by that time, I would not leave CCTV because I knew once I left, I would not have an chance to return."

Still, Ma regarded his time with BOB "the best time" of his career.

"The three and a half year with BOB is the happiest time in my life. It is an enjoyment to be working with such a professional team, focusing only on one thing and caring about nothing else," Ma said..

"I'm fully satisfied with what we have achieved with BOB. I won't have such kind of chance in my life. Working for the Olympics is a kind of sacred feeling for me."

After the Beijing Games, Ma retired from CCTV and accepted the job with Infront China, another surprising move for many people.

Ma admitted that what attracted him to join the company at the very beginning was China's intention to bid for hosting the FIFA World Cup, soccer's pinnacle event and arguably the most-watched sports tournament in the world.

"I was a TV producer before, so I know little about the sports marketing. But the FIFA World Cup drew my attention at that time," Ma said.

However, China has dropped its plan to bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022 at the last minute due to recurring match-fixing allegations and bribery scandals in its professional league and poor international performances of its national team. That dashed Ma's hopes of running the FIFA World Cup in China and left him in disappointment.

"Now I don't think I have the chance to see China host a World Cup. The first task for China's soccer is to have a mature soccer league," Ma said.

Despite the setback on the soccer field, Ma has a bigger mission with his current job.

"Now I want to take a challenge - to make money in Chinese sports market and then give the money back to the development of China's sports. Once I achieve that, I finish my lifetime fulfillment."

For Ma, working is a way of life.

"Before 55 years' old, I always thought about retirement, because I was extremely busy everyday at that time," he said. "After 55, I found I couldn't retire from work and do nothing. I have to be always working - only not be so absorbed as to forget food and sleep like before."

You can contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

For China Daily

(China Daily 07/31/2011 page4)