Sun Wen appointed China football vice president

BEIJING (AP) — Former FIFA female player of the year Sun Wen has been elected a vice president of the Chinese Football Association as China seeks to revamp its lagging national program.

Sun, who became captain of the Chinese team in 2000, is currently director of the women’s youth training department at the CFA.

Sun scored 16 goals over two Olympic and four World Cup tournaments, including the 1999 edition in which China was runner-up to the United States.

Also Thursday, Chen Xuyuan, former president of Shanghai International Port Group which owns China Super League team Shanghai SIPG, was elected CFA president and former China national team coach Gao Hongbo and deputy sports minister Du Zhaocai were also voted in as vice chairmen.

The Chinese women’s team is 16th in FIFA rankings and its men 71st.

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