May 2 – China’s leading social media platform Weibo has seen an 18% growth in sports teams, leagues and players using the site – there are now 1,200 official sports organisations on the platform.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 29 – Asako Takakura has been appointed the first ever female coach of Japan’s senior women’s national team, hailed as an important breakthrough in promoting gender equality and the skills of women coaches globally.
By Paul Nicholson
April 28 – The cost of winning has caught up with Chinese Super League giant Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC who have revealed a staggering loss of RMB953 million ($147 million) in their year ended 2015 accounts.
April 22 – China’s increasingly broad-based ownership positions in sport saw trading company Wuhan Double Co announce it is to spend €39.5million buying a 100% share of Nice International Sports Limited, whose principle business is player agency.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 8 – Asian football leaders are becoming increasingly concerned over individual member federations being suspended by FIFA because of government interference in their affairs, a trend they warn is seriously hindering development in the region.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 31 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has rehired its former general secretary Dato’ Alex Soosay (pictured) as a consultant less than a year after he quit over claims, still to be proven, that he was involved in a cover-up during an investigation into corruption allegations dating back to the era of Mohammed bin Hammam.
March 29 – Asian football has reacted with shock and anger at the deaths of at least 41 people, many of them children, caused by a suicide bomber who blew himself up just as trophies were being presented after a local tournament.
By Paul Nicholson
March 7 – Signs that China’s football market is more than a passing fad have been given further credibility with Adidas’ announcement that it plans to open 3,000 new stores in the country over the next five years, with football being a key driver of that expansion.
