This Day, That Year: Women's soccer team returns in triumph

China's players celebrate a goal during a round of 16 match between China and Cameroon at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada, on June 20, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

Ranking No 12 in the world, the Chinese women's soccer team is preparing for the upcoming Rio Olympics. Last June, the team reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Canada.

The performance of the national players, nicknamed Steel Roses, has reignited the country's enthusiasm for women's soccer.

In the past decade, the women's team suffered from the lack of talent and insufficient investment despite its stature as a global power in the 1990s－China finished second both in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 1999 Women's World Cup.

China's Zhuang Rui (top) makes a pass during a round robin game against Australia during the Rio Olympics football qualifying tournament in Osaka, Japan, March 9, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The country has set a goal of becoming a world soccer power by 2050, according to a long-term development plan announced in April.

With President Xi Jinping widely known to be a soccer fan, analysts say the government's latest efforts help mark a "golden era" in the promotion of the sport.