'Tsu chu', as old as the Shang dynasty
The first mention of a game of football in history dates back to the Chinese empire of Shang in about 2000BC. The Shang dynasty extended from about 1800-1100BC. The story was discovered during archaeological digs from 1927-1950 that found numerous royal tombs and important inscriptions ... Legend attributes the invention of a ball game to the time of the mythical emperor Huang-Ti, at around 2500BC, and a practice that was part of military training. The ball was round and made from pig or dog leather. The ball was launched from between two planted sticks ... Chinese military called it 'tsu chu'.
Philippe Villemus, Le Dieu football (The Football God) (Ed. Eyrolles 2006)
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