China to send first group of 240 coaches to train in French universities

GRANADA, Spain - A contract has been sealed here on Monday confirming that China's governing body of university sports FUSC will send over 200 coaches each year to train in France.

Under the agreement, FUSC, under the support from its French counterpart FFSU and China Scholarship Council, will start to send about 240 football coaches to study in French Universities from September to December this year.

Apart from the study program, FUSC will also host the first edition of China-France University Sports Week in June. French national football teams and badminton teams will be invited to Beijing for friendlies and participate many other activities.

Both countries also will jointly host seminars, soccer friendlies, cultural events in China and France in the future.

"I'm very happy for this kind of cooperation coming at the right moment for France and China, the two countries having very good relationships," said FISU president Claude Gallien after attending the signing ceremony.

"It was not so easy to do it really fast, and maybe it's the work of FISU to connect people and to help them develop their relationships. So as President of FISU, it's a great pleasure," he added.

All the achievements, which normally need at least one year to prepare, have been done in only three months, according to a source close to FUSC.