China bans its national football players from getting inked

football

China has officially banned its national football players from getting tattoos. Anyone playing in the country’s national team is prohibited from getting inked. Footballers who already have tattoos are advised to get it removed – under a new directive.

China’s sports administration have made it clear that recruiting new players with tattoos to youth squads and at the national level is strictly prohibited.

This decision is taken to set a good example in society. But at the same time, it has created a lot of hassles for the tatted footballers.

Some star players, including Zhang Linpeng, was previously asked to cover their tattoos. But now the officials have advised the players to completely remove the tattoos.

Since 2018, China has been very strict about its rules and regulations. They are taking all the measures required to stop tattoos from being displayed on national television. Due to this, many professional footballers as well as other athletes have since been covering their tattoos by wearing long sleeves clothes.

The country’s General Administration of Sport mentioned in a statement that national football players with tattoos were previously advised to have their tattoos removed.

They also said that players must cover their tattoos during competition and training, with the consent of their team.

In Chinese culture, tattoos were always considered taboo. Tattoos were originally used to mark criminals. Even though this was done in the past, tattoos are still linked with criminal groups in China and East Asia. Tattoos among ethnic groups are considered uncultured and uncivilised.

For this many reasons, China has been levelling up its regulations. They are trying to stop the display of tattoos on the screen.

Tattoos are disapproved by the country’s ruling Communist Party. However, getting tattoos have become a very popular practice among the younger generation.

At the beginning of this year, the broadcasting regulator in China announced that they were tightening the rules on certain content, which is considered unhealthy for the viewers.

Internet and television appearances by celebrities and sports personalities have been strictly restricted in cases involving men’s ponytails and tattoos. There have been many instances where they have been blurred from screens.

Last December, a University football match organised for the women’s team was cancelled after players were informed that they are not allowed to dye their hair.

The National Youth Campus Football League, the body that organised the match made a statement back then stating that athletes are not allowed to have dyed hair, tattoos, or weird hairdos. They are also not allowed to wear any odd accessories. Failing to follow the rules will disqualify them from the competition.

Currently, national-level football players are told to remove their tattoos, under a new directive. Previously, they were told to cover their tattoos during a match or training session. But China is fully focused on tightening its regulations to prohibit the show off tattoos on screens.

This new directive has stirred concern among the players who have tatted their body parts in the past.

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