Soccer Around the World

History of Soccer in Asia
Throughout time, historians have kept records of events with war or religious affiliation. When it comes to sports, historians haven’t kept close tabs on the spread of sports and how it’s evolved over time. As a result, historians can’t tell how soccer has spread from Asia to Europe (Lancaster).
In Asia, soccer is known as “football.” It’s very popular in countries such as China, Korea, and India. In 1945, soccer first started becoming a popular sport. Before this, British and French colonizers were the first to introduce soccer to Asia (Soccer in Asia).
In 1911, Mohan Bagan made a big breakthrough for Asia. He won the Indian Football Association Shield as the first person from India to win. Europeans invaded large cities, such as Shanghai, making the game of “football” a known sport in China as early as 1843 (Soccer in Asia).
In 1950, regional competitions in Asia first began. In the year of 1957, the first tournament to be recognized was held in Malaysia. Not only was the tournament a competition, it was also seen as a symbol of freedom. Malaysia had just been freed from colonial rule (Soccer in Asia).
The King’s Cup and the Kirin Cup, held in Japan, are examples of other tournaments in Asia. These took place in 1978. Soccer, in Malaysia, started to discourage gambling. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China other tournaments were held including the Nehru Gold Cup in India. During all this, South Korea was beginning to incorporate soccer into its culture. In 1980, soccer became a professional sport in South Korea. Then, in 1988, South Korea achieved its first Olympic Games and has dominated the Asia soccer field ever since (Soccer in Asia).

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Works Cited:

Lancaster, Mike. "The History Of Soccer. How Soccer Was Invented.." AthleticScholarships. 2 Mar 2009 <http://www.athleticscholarships.net/history-of-soccer.htm>.

"Soccer in Asia." A Brief History of Soccer Throughout the World. 2 Mar 2009 <http://www.personal.psu.edu/bjs372/ART002Team/asia.htm>