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Out of the fire and into the Turpan

Stop Press: the desert was traversed, games were played in Niye and Turpan, and the Ball narrowly missed rolling to a stop in the Turpan Depression. 154m below sea level, 38 degrees in the shade – it’s hotter here than the desert. Now onwards, and incidentally upwards, to the gates of the Great Wall of China…

Chris surfs the dunes
Chris surfs the dunes

A highlight for me was on the stretch from Korla to Turfan, when, driving through the arid western end of the Tian Shan mountains, we entered a gorge where the craggy hillsides were replaced by huge dunes which covered the rocks as if the sand had been poured on from above.

Shadows on the road
Pausing for a recording

Maayan and Gersh had left the bus in Korla, both heading for Beijing, so it was only Phil, Tim and me who arrived in Turfan late in the evening. We were delighted by the balmy evening temperature – a significant change from the deep desert, where it had become quite cold at night and we spent a pleasant hour or two in the hotel courtyard browsing through our World Cup planner and guide books, figuring out which games would be worth heading for, and getting a handle on their locations.

In the morning, during breakfast, I heard a commotion coming from behind the cafe, and, peering over the back wall, was surprised to see a full size football pitch full of local schoolchildren. It has been one of the features of this trip that we have inadvertently found ourselves conveniently close to where locals play football – sometimes eerily so. We have hardly ever needed to search out games or pitches; sometimes it seems to me like they are placed in our path.

The Ball is involved in a hastily organised game at a school in the heat of Turpan.

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The day had already become blisteringly hot, and I wondered if I would be able to run around at all in the searing heat, but as evening approached, the temperature dropped to a (relatively) comfortable 30 degrees or so, and we ventured out to organise a game.

The pitch in Turfan
The pitch in Turfan

By this time, all the people who had been playing in the morning had disappeared, but as we walked towards the ground we began (as we had in Niya) to pick up a crowd of eager players, and before long there was a full scale game in progress.

Game action
Game action

Unfortunately, in the rough and tumble of the game on a forward dash from a throw in, I collided with an opposition player and skidded along the gravel surface grazing my elbow and jarring my hand, so I dropped out to do some filming. Phil continued to play and caused havoc in the opposition penalty area.

Phil scores one of many goals
Phil scores one of many goals

After the game, I sat down with some of the players and chatted. I was surprised to learn from them that, in Xinjiang, the schools are segregated. Uyhgur children go to one, while Han immigrants go to another. This didn’t seem too bad, until I learnt that the Han Chinese learn both Chinese and English at school, while the Uyghur children are not allowed to learn English. I could only convey my sympathy to them, while also reminding them that their Uyghur language gave them a kind of secret code with which to communicate with one another. The Chinese, who learn no Uyghur, would not be able to understand what they were saying. I was also struck by their determination to learn English nonetheless, and impressed with how much they could in fact speak.

The episode reminded me of a story that I had heard in Kashgar, where the youth team had come 2nd in the Chinese national league. I was told that despite their obvious talent, not one of them would ever be eligible to represent China at a national level. It seems that the national team must be composed strictly of Han Chinese. To compound the misery of the situation, the Uyghurs are also not allowed to form a team of their own.

China, if this is true, you are squandering some of the massive resources of this nation of yours. Football is for everyone, not just the genetically privileged. I hope you save face at the World Cup, but if you get beaten by every team in your group (as I suspect will happen) remember your Kashgar youth.

Phil starts to make plans for what we could do if we ever actually reach World Cup.

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Written by on Saturday, May 18th, 2002

12 comments on this post

  1. Glad to see that our former Team Coach and Manager, the Xin Jiang local boy come good Abdulwali, has enjoyed his season in the Tarim Basin Cup with the Lads Leaving Home.

    Wish we were there.

    Many cheers from us on the sidelines.

    Luke & Claudes

  2. Abdulwali was a great manager… always ready to step in and diffuse any potential disagreements in the team… perhaps some of our Irish readers could chip in and fly him out to smooth relations between Keane and McCarthy?

  3. hello,

    I’m just from turpan, I’m very happy whatching this site, you have done a good work.

  4. Thanks Ahmad, glad you like what you see here. We had a great time in Turpan (despite the searing temperatures) and were greatly moved by the stories we were told by our footballing friends.

  5. Came across the page while writing an English teaching book for Chinese – with Uygur heroine and setting. Disgraceful that the Uygur can’t learn English or represent the country at football. I wonder whether I could sneak those facts into the book without the authorities in Beijing noticing? Speaking as a mother of 3 footballers, who have played wherever there was a pitch all over the world, I loved your travelogue!

  6. I have to point out that some information in this article is not accurate. It’s so ridiculous to say that the Chinese national team can composed of only Han Chinese. One player, Zhao Junzhe, who is Manchurus, is apparently non-Han Chinese. Uygur can play come to the national team if they paly well enough. Race won’t be a problem as far as I know.

  7. As to the issue of English study of Uygur students, I have never been to xinjiang so i don’t know for sure(unlike some people who are ready to believe after only talking to a couple of persons and very quick to throw accusations). But let’s assume that it is true that Uygur students are not allowed to study engish at some level is true. I think the reason is that Uygur has to learn their own language and they have to study Chinese too. Maybe not every Urgur kid is smart enough to study 3 languages at the same time. And believe it or not, mastering Chinese language is more rewarding and imperate for the Uygur studetns than mastering English, a fact that doesn’t dimish english’s status as the international language.

  8. Thanks for your comments, Chunguang. It’s good to see that folk are still actively posting. However, regarding your comments, it seems that you have no evidence to contradict what I was told in Turfan. You say that “as far as I know” race is not a problem. You say that you have never been to Xinjiang. On what grounds do you then base your comments?

    I do not know who to believe in either the matter of representing China at football or learning English. I was reporting what I was told by local people. Perhaps you can offer some actual proof that what they told me was untrue, rather than simply dismissing what they said because you don’t like it? And, to suggest that Uygur children are not bright enough to learn three languages – well, I guess I’ll resist the temptation to criticise such a narrow-minded view.

  9. One of the players in Chinese national football team, Zhao Junzhe is non-Han Chinese, a simple fact that makes the claim that only Han Chinese can represent the country void and groundless. I believe that Uigurs can represent the country too, as long as they play well enough. They are chinese citizens, not different any other chinese, there is not reason that they can’t represent their country.

    As to the English study in Xinjiang, I was not implying the Uigur kids are inferior to any race in the language study. I was saying that only based on my own and my friends’ foreign language study experience. I know how time-consuming and painful to study a foreign language. I can’t imagine I having to study three languages at the same time at a young age. That’s just too much for a young kid. Maybe i am just too stupid. But i really don’t want to see that young children burdened with the study of 2 foreign study.

    Still as i have said, i have never been to xinjiang and i didn’t do any investigation on these matters. I only based this on my life exprience of 24 years in china. What i said is to my best knowledge. That’s also why i added ‘as far as i know’. I wanted to qualify my assertion because i didn’t intend to make any statements bigger than the knowledge I knew. I think taking a more cantious attitude always helps when talk (or argue) with others to clarify things.

    I am genunely happy to see your feedback. I stopped by this web by chance and found the essay interesting. After reading it i decided to comment on the football and english study thing because that’s not exactly what i heard or believed. Thank you for the feedback and this interesing essay.

  10. PS: the direct reason prompted me to comment is that i thought we must make sure a fact is really a fact because Clare in one post said that she wanted to include the two ‘facts’ in her book. I favor a more conservative, cautious and secientfic way, especially when you want to use it in a book. You don’t want to dissminate misinformation, right?

  11. Chunghuang: you’re right, my response was harsh, and I apologise. I was appalled when I heard what I was told, and I am relieved to hear that it may not be correct. I’ll edit the story with this in mind – on re-reading it I realise that I have accepted their story without corroboration. I hope sincerely that you’re right and my informants were wrong.

  12. Andras the Hun from Australia April 10, 2004 at 4:31 pm

    Balance is always needed in reporting the Uyghur peoples’struggle for recognition.

    The balance of information is that they are discriminated against by Han Chinese – the extent and purpose of the discrimination is something to be debated.

    Certainly the Uyghurs are eager to reach out to the West to have their independent identity recognised and respected.

    They are, for instance, eager to be recognised as close relations of the Hungarians in Europe.

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The Ball 2018 left England on 25th March 2018 and travelled to the World Cup in Russia.

The Ball 2014 kicked off from England on 9th Jan 2014 and headed to the World Cup in Brazil.

The Ball 2010 left England on 24th Jan 2010 headed to the Opening Ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Ball 2006 travelled from London to the Opening Ceremony in Munich, Germany.

The Ball 2002 was carried 7000 miles across Europe and Asia to the World Cup finals in Korea & Japan.