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David Beckham is in Hangzhou for the next stop of his China tour after causing a stampede
here in Shanghai this afternoon. Zhang Qin has more.
Beckham was supposed to play some soccer at Tongji University this afternoon, but that
plan was canceled shortly after he showed up on campus. Thousands of fans flooded the
soccer field just to see him, and security guards couldn't control the crowd. Seven people
were injured, including three police.
The 38-year-old retired from professional soccer last month after playing for 20 years.
Now Beckham is an ambassador for China's youth soccer program. He told ICS at his hotel room
last night that he loves his new job.
"I think I'll always focus on the youth, because you know, children amaze me. Obivously they're
our future. So I'll always focus, wherever I am in the world, whatever what I'm doing
on children playing football. But I think I've said, it's important for the league to
have the foundation of youth academies, and set the right academies up. Just so, in the
future, 10, 20 years' time you'll see the young children coming through from the youth
academies into the national team, and the national team will start having the success
that they deserve," he said.
At a press conference this morning, Beckham said that he is well aware Chinese soccer
has been hurt by a history of corruption and match-fixing. But he said he has faith in
the future.
"For me the past is the past, this is the future. I'm excited about the future, excited
about the league that is in a very good position right now. I'm excited to be part of something
that we'll see and already are seeing a change, and we'll see a success," Beckham said.
This is Beckham's second trip to China this year, and he plans to return at least once
more in 2013 to promote youth soccer.