16:56, 23-Jun-2018
2018 FIFA World Cup: Chinese fans flocking to football showpiece
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Although China did not qualify for the World Cup, thousands of fans from the country are still joining the fun in Russia. Football enthusiasts from the PRC can be seen in all 11 cities which are hosting matches, cheering along and making friends with people from around the world. Damion Jones has more.
China's national team might not be at the latest edition of international football's top tournament, but some of its fans have made the trek to Russia anyway, celebrating the quadrennial showpiece with sports aficionados from across the globe. And those who don't have tickets to matches have scoped out the best gathering spots to watch matches, and make new friends.
CHINA FAN MOSCOW "I think it was great. At the moment that I saw Argentina kick off against Iceland, I was almost crying. I saw many Argentine fans dancing and singing, and even though I could not understand their language, I was wearing an Argentina jersey, and dancing and singing along with them. It was really an unforgettable experience."
Official estimates indicate that around 40-thousand Chinese fans bought tickets for World Cup games, ranking the country among the top ten sending audience members to Russia. But media reports from the host nation place the number of attendees at more than 60-thousand, with FIFA pointing out that such enthusiasm is good for the sport.
And continued development of the game in China means fans could eventually start seeing their own team at the World Cup, on a regular basis. Damion Jones, CGTN.