Cock Soccer

Animals are Beautiful People is a
humorous nature documentary
that showcases how animals,
among other things, drink whisky
and dance better than human
beings.
In the 1974 film shot in deserts in
South Africa, a monkey and an
ostrich get drunk after eating
amarula fruits and dance better
than someone who has taken
chang�aa.
It is a wonderful film that brings
out the best in animals. A Chinese
woman, however, took the game
further when she started a
sport for animals.
Zhang Lijun, a resident of
Shenyang, in northeast China,
began football matches involving
cocks.
The sport, known as roosters�
soccer, involves two cocks
kicking, clawing, dribbling and
pecking a ball to score, just as it
happens with human beings in
football matches as they kick and
pass the ball with the aim of
outmanoeuvring their opponents.
According to aolnews.com, Lijun
started the sport in 2007 after
realising that her two cocks liked
playing with balls. The birds would
run around and fight over a ball.
Seeing an opportunity, Lijun
turned the unco-ordinated
�soccer� into a sport, complete
with �strict� rules.
Cock stars
The game, according to AOL, is
popular in China. Its numerous
fans turn up on the streets,
where the matches take place,
to cheer up their favourite cock
stars.
"The game has become something
of a fad in China, with organised
tournaments featuring the
feathered players, complete with
official rules and of course
exciting betting contests," a
story on bleacherreport.com
says.
The cock soccer created great
excitement in Chinese rural
villages last year than the World
Cup.
The country had missed to qualify
to play in the tournament making
citizens to turn to �home made�
stuff where Lijun organised
�World Cup� matches.
"China didn�t get a chance to
strut its stuff at the World Cup
but the cocks did not disappoint.
The roosters used their feet and
wings to handle the ball. Passers-
by gathered to watch the
bizarre spectacle and were
surprised by the bird�s dribbling
skills. Look out, China may be the
world�s biggest cock soccer
powerhouse with its growing
unusual football team," a story
on aolnews says.
Dirty tricks
During the cock matches, Lijun
plays the role of the referee and
she enjoys the work.
This is perhaps because, unlike
human beings, the cocks cannot
engage in dirty tricks.
For instance, the well-trained
�athletes� cannot fake injuries
to run the clock out. They cannot
shout expletives at opponents or
referees and when they score,
they cannot remove their shirts
or somersault.
"The roosters don�t take dives
like what some of football stars
do and are glad to play for
chickenfeed," Lijun said in an
interview.
However, as she crowed proudly
about her innovative soccer,
animal rights activists criticised
her saying the games set off
"ferocious physical conflicts
between birds."
According to
sportsbookmaker.org, People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA), a US animal rights�
group, was vocal in condemning
the game.
"It is possible to train a chicken
or rooster to play football, but
placing them together at
�sporting events� in front of
crowds is another matter," an
official of the organisation said.
"Using animals in public venues,
especially when bets are at
stake, doesn�t usually end well
for them and is seldom in their
best interests," she added
The association noted that the
sport looks harmless to outsiders
but causes problems between the
birds and upset their natural
pecking order.
"The birds� urge to fight when a
ball is placed near them is what is
being exploited by the
organisers," they observed.
Criticisms aside, perhaps Lijun
should improve the birds� safety
by ensuring they wear boots and
a team doctor hangs around the
pitch.