China has now banned their national team football players from getting new tattoos. In fact, those with existing tattoos have been recommended to remove or cover up the tattoos themselves. This step is being taken reportedly to “set a good example for society”.
Reportedly, several football players from China in the recent years have started sporting tattoos. International defender Zhang Linpeng has also sported tattoos and he was asked by the Chinese authorities to cover up the tattoo or get it removed. He was asked to cover up the tattoo while playing for the national team and club side Guangzhou FC.
The General Administration of Sport of China (GAS) said in a statement headed “Suggestions for strengthening the management of football players” that the Chinese Football Association would set out disciplinary requirements for national team players.
“National teams at all levels will strictly implement the relevant requirements of the management measures… (and) fully demonstrate the positive spirit of Chinese football players and set a good example for society,” it said.
Saying that the national team and U23 players are required to either remove or cover up their tattoos, the GAS said that if there are special circumstances agreed by the team and the players, then at the least, the players are supposed to cover up the tattoos during training and the matches.
GAS had added that national teams should organise “ideological and political education activities” that would “strengthen the patriotic education” of players. Talking about the ideological and political education activities to be organised, the GAC said, “enhance the sense of mission, responsibility and honour, and create a national team capable of conquering and fighting well and with excellent style of play”.
China restricts video games for kids to up to 3 hours a week
Beijing recently curbed the gaming hours for minors as the notice released by China’s National Press and Publication Administration imposed limits on the time that children can spend on online gaming. Starting September 1 2021, the video game companies are ordained to restrict gaming time to three hours a week—from 8 PM to 9 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Defending the restrictions, the National Press and Publication Administration said the online gaming has an impact on both the physical and mental health of minors.
In order to ensure that minors abide by the rule, the game companies will have to use a real name-based registration system that Tencent started using in 2018 to restrict playtime on Honor of Kings, a widely popular online game.
However, at that time, the restrictions were not so rigorous as children up to the age of 12 could play one hour per day, and up to two hours a day for children in the age bracket between 13 to 18. The authorities were then concerned about exacerbating myopia among minors.
