An ancient sport to die for
Updated: 2013-09-13 07:12
(HK Edition)
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The popularity of cuju, an ancient sport of football, was widespread. Shiji, China's first official dynastic history, recorded between 109 and 91 BC, gives an account of a man named Xiang Chu, whose love of the sport cost him his life. Xiang consulted Bianque, a brilliant doctor who had many patients. The physician diagnosed Xiang with a hernia and duly prescribed bed rest. The patient disregarded the advice and went out to play cuju instead. Later, Xiang suffered terrible kidney pains. He began to sweat profusely and then started coughing up blood. Bianque again visited his patient, but concluded that Xiang was beyond the help of medicine. Xiang died but was forever immortalized as the first to give up his life for the love of Chinese football.
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Three men playing cuju, an ancient Chinese form of soccer, in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), as recorded in an illustration book that explains the rules. (Image provided by Digital Heritage Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.) |
(HK Edition 09/13/2013 page4)