Back at the beginning of the Han Dynasty (200 BC) in Shandong province, when someone shouted “cuji!” (can be translated as something like “kick-ball”), punted the leather tightened orb – and that is how football was created. The game was played by all classes of Chinese society, children on sunny dusty streets, aristocratic dwellers, and soldiers. A few thousand years after, in June 2004, Sepp Blatter, the eighth FIFA president, announced China to be the cradle of the football game.
National pride in football links Chinese citizens to the game, which has been played in several forms around the world.
The Next FIFA World Cup will take place in Russia in 2018 – with registration for volunteers now open. Participation is available to everyone, with a restriction on age. Applicants have to be at least 18 years old by May 10 of 2017 for volunteering at Confederations Cup, and 18 years by same date of 2018 for the World Cup. The process of application is pretty easy and can be done online from every country. After testing, volunteers are welcome to join one out of nineteen functional departments.
The official website of the event, www.fifa.com, has all relevant information. Also, Russian redaction of the website recently published a note about new-comers from China and the USA, who have already applied for volunteering next year, and are currently taking summer language courses in Saransk.
Being a volunteer on a world-scale sport game tournament is an unbelievable experience. It broadens the mind through the gathering of representatives of numerous varieties of cultures, ages, and professions. Of course, for seniors, the opportunity can be mentioned on a university application letter or resume.
A friend of the writer got a fantastic job offer in Singapore just after randomly helping someone at Paralympic Games last year with a math task.
So, if you are still unsure about your summer plans for the next year or year after – why not spend a month with your friends or family volunteering in Russia? Beijing heat can definitely wait.
Photos: cits.net; welcome2018.com; fifa.com
