Chinese need more beef to play and fight with Westerners

BEIJING, Mar 6 (Reuters) Chinese footballers need to eat beef and drink milk if they are to play, and fight, with Westerners on a level playing field, according to a member of the advisory body to China's parliament.

Last month's brawl between China's under-21 team and English club Queens Park Rangers proved that Chinese athletes did not have enough brawn, according to Zhang Xinshi, a biology researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

''You can't just say you aren't used to eating beef and drinking milk and leave it at that,'' Zhang said during a discussion of Chinese agriculture at this week's meeting of the advisory body CPPCC.

''Our football can't reach a higher level. We are only good at skilful sports. Running for two 45 minute halves on such a large pitch at speeds like 100m, how can (our) bodies do that? ''We all saw the recent fight in England and they (the players) were beaten to a pulp.

''Sounds tragic? But if you are as strong as a buffalo how can they beat you up? Therefore I don't think we should advocate the Chinese grain-eating tradition.'' Chinese defender Zheng Tao was taken to hospital with a fractured jaw after the 30-man fight during an ill-tempered friendly at QPR's training ground, which provoked a media storm in China.

QPR assistant manager Richard Hill was interviewed by police for his part in the fracas but English media reported yesterday that no charges would be brought against him.

REUTERS PDS KP1847