DRIBBLING ACROSS ASIA
Football is the world’s most popular and globalised sport, with an estimated following of some four billion fans nestled in every corner of the globe, including Asia. The origins of football in Asia date back centuries, with cuju and kemari being two ancient Asian games that resemble modern football. Cuju is the earliest known form of football, and dates as far back as the Warring States period (475–221 BCE). Kemari began during the Asuka period (around the 6th to 8th century CE) and was played within the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto from around the 7th century.
Modern football began to played the sport while visiting Incheon Port. Although football was mostly played by Asian imperial subjects, elites and nationalists when it was first introduced, it eventually spread to Asia’s general populace as both a recreational and competitive activity.
