Puyi, the last emperor of China, was the twelfth and final head of the Qing Dynasty that came to a violent end in 1912.
The Xinhai Revolution saw the creation of the Republic of China at the expense of the now dissolved Qing; forcing a then six-year-old Puyi to up sticks and abdicate his imperial role.
Add in fronting the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo during the second Sino-Japanese war, and subsequently being tried as a war criminal in 1945, the story of the last emperor of the Middle Kingdom is truly riveting.
The revolts brought an end to 2,000 years of imperial rule, with a new modern approach wanted to put an end to the decaying and archaic regime.
This brings about today’s story; a radical and eye-opening approach deployed by the Chinese aiming to get an under-achieving nation competing on the world stage.
Let’s talk football.
Elkeson de Oliveira Cardoso, hailing from Maranhão Brazil, made his debut for China on Tuesday in their five-goal thrashing of minnows the Maldives in Malé.
The burly forward netted twice on his first appearance for Team Dragon, helping Marcelo Lippi’s side go top of their Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifying group.
The former Vitória and Botafogo forward joined then Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande in December 2012, and after a three-year stint at rivals Shanghai SIPG, he finds himself back in Canton.
In August, Elkeson, now Ai Kesen, became the first player without any Chinese ancestry to be called up to the Chinese national team squad, after naturalising as a citizen thanks to his lengthy stay in the country.
This came months after London-born Nico Yennaris, formerly of Arsenal and Brentford, underwent naturalisation thanks to his mother’s Chinese descent.
The country, with a population of over 1.4 billion, are no doubt one of the beautiful game’s biggest under-achievers; qualifying for just the 2002 World Cup where they finished rock bottom of Group C.
Football-mad president Xi Jinping has spent countless resources aiming at improving the sport within the country, and boss Marcello Lippi demanded the CFA to start naturalising players when he returned to the job just months after leaving the post in January.
Rather than buy their way to a World Cup by filling Sepp Blatter’s pockets à la Qatar, allegedly, China is attempting to reach just its second world showing by filling naturalised ‘Chinese’ players pockets and making them switch allegiances.
As well as Elkeson, fellow Brazilian’s Ricardo Goulart, Fernandinho, Alan and even Chinese second division striker Aloísio are expected to follow suit.
Perhaps one of the most patriotic nations on earth, Elkeson had to hit the ground running to win over fans, and many according to Chinese football expert Cameron Wilson (@CameronWEF) are still unsure.
“Fans are pretty divided,” he explains.
“There’s some big names spoken out against Elkeson. He will need to do more than score goals against Maldives to win over some fans but overall I think he will be accepted.”
If he continues to produce in front of goal though, even the most die-hard of the anti-naturalisation front will fail to have a bad word about a striker who has seven goals in as many games since his return to Evergrande.
Should China make it to Qatar, then the part de facto Brazil B team could face against the actual Seleção, but Elkeson it would appear, has his sights firmly set on proving himself to his new Chinese compatriots.
“Today, I want to tell the world I officially opened a new journey, I am Chinese,” he commented on social media.
“I want to return all the love and care you have for me over the years. I hope to get your support as always.”
Whether they will make it remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, an attacking quartet of actually Chinese Wu Lei, somehow Chinese Elkeson and soon to be Chinese Ricardo Goulart and Fernandinho could cause any side problems.
[Cover image via The New Paper]
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