Prisca Tang
“I don’t believe in any religion but I once heard from a lecture that 90 percent of the people who succeed in life are religious because religion provides a sort of guidance in life. In my opinion, football is like a religion in a way that it anchors my daily life,” Macau Chiba Sport Association Football Team Captain Sou Chan U has told The Macau Post Daily.
“It is like a sense of purpose or a kind of responsibility. Our daily lives’ decisions anchor around our role as a football player. We eat responsibly, we train routinely, our daily decisions often centre around football. It’s like we have a purpose and something we can rely on. It is something in our heart that disciplines us,” Sou said.
Sou noted that the Macau Chiba Sport Association has been heavily influenced by Japanese culture, hence the name.
Chiba is a city of nearly a million residents in Tokyo Bay.
Sou said that it only started as a five-a-side football team and was registered with the Sports Bureau (ID) in 2011. He said the reason that he started the association was because he believed in the power of convergence that football has.
“Our association gathers people from Hong Kong, Brazil, Portugal, the mainland, Taiwan and, of course, locals. The association also has people from as young as 10-years-old and as old as 50. We are united because of our love for football,” Sou said.
According to Sou, the association has around 50 members and officials. He pointed out that they have been winning championships at different football games. Recently, he underlined, his team’s 11-a –side football teamcame top of in the 3rd Division of the Macau Football League in the 2020/2021season.
“I found that because of our differences we work better together. Each person pitches in their thoughts and we acknowledge that we come from different backgrounds, so we put a lot more emphasis on communication,” Sou said.
Football is more than just a sport
When asked whether they have disputes among their team members, Sou admitted that it is “inevitable” that team members are upset over something. He pointed out that it is usually because they did not get to play during a match but had to sit on the bench for the entire game. He stressed that as a team captain he needs to counsel those members and coordinate according to their ability.
“After all, football is more than just a sport,” Sou giggled
Sou said that his team members are also friends, business partners and confidants. He added that a few years ago, he had an epiphany and thought of using football to help civil society. He said that last month his team worked with a charity that helps those with mental disabilities.
“When we watched the children playing football for two hours, it made me realise how pure their hearts are. It shouldn’t be so hard to be happy,” Sou said.
According to Sou, his team is recruiting teenagers for their U14 team (under 14). He said it’s like a heirloom or heritage, he wanted the football culture to be passed on from generation to generation.
A team member of the association, José Álvares, told The Macau Post Daily that football is a form of sport diplomacy.
“People can get really competitive in a game, but after the game we are all just friends,” Álvares said.
Álvares noted that people have a lot of obligations and identity off the football field, but once they are on the field, they are just players and their world is simple.
Macau people love football
When asked whether Macau has a lot of football fans, Sou said without hesitation: “yes, a lot a lot”. He said regardless of whether they like watching football or playing it, it is always a sport that can draw people’s attention.
However, the association’s team assistant, Kuan Chi Kio, told The Macau Post Daily another story. She said that a lot of females would like to play leisurely but do not want to commit or devote time to play the sport. She said that in Macau it is harder for female players to form teams to compete because there is only a very small pool of players.
However, the lack of competition does not only affect the women’s team, the men’s team also suffer from lack of opportunity to play against others.
“There may be a lot of football lovers but it is slow to develop football in Macau due to the lack of funding and competitions,” Sou said.
Sou said even so his team still seizes every opportunity to run around the field chasing the ball.
Photos: Macau Chiba Sport Association
