China says football stars of future need training from birth

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's footballing stars of the future need to start being trained from birth, the government said on Friday as President Xi Jinping signed off on a new plan to boost the country's much-maligned efforts at the sport.

Xi is an avid football fan and has spoken in the past of "three wishes" for China; to qualify for another World Cup since their first and only appearance at the 2002 finals, to host a World Cup and to eventually win one.