Managing in China during the coronavirus: 'No-one tells you what to do when a pandemic hits’


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Gary White is no stranger to sport in uncharted territory.

After all, the Southampton-born manager includes some of football’s most far flung destinations on his CV.

But even the former British Virgin Islands and Guam manager admits that nothing had prepared him for a Chinese lockdown that effectively brought the most populous nation on Earth to a standstill.

White took over Nantong Zhiyun in August of last year and led them to safety in the final match of the Chinese First Division season, inspiring his side to a last ditch victory over Yaya Toure’s Qingdao Huanghai.

That win – secured with an injury-time winner – saw White’s side return as heroes to Nantong, with local fans waiting for the Englishman at the airport to shower him with flowers.

The stage was set for Nantong to build on that this season but instead White has spent the majority of 2020 holed up in an apartment in Shanghai with his Chinese wife and their young son.

It’s not quite the preparation he had in mind.

“It has obviously been very, very strange,” he says. “When you’re doing your coaching badges no-one turns round and says ‘and by the way, this is what you do when a pandemic hits’. Nothing can prepare you for this.

“I’ve lived through hurricanes in the Bahamas, earthquakes in Japan, you name it. But this is on a completely different level.”

Life is gradually returning to something approaching normality in China, with the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic now focused in Europe and the USA.

Chinese Super League clubs returned to training on March 22 but the positive test returned by Marouane Fellaini last week may see the start date of the season – originally mooted as mid-April – pushed back further.

The uncertainty is reflected elsewhere in Asia. Japan is one of the few countries globally to put a date on the return of football, with clubs there preparing to return to action on May 9.

For White, though, getting back on the training pitch is just one small step towards normality returning.

“A lot of our overseas players are still waiting to come back to China,” he says. “Some won’t be able to leave their own countries at the moment, the world has pretty much ground to a complete standstill.

“My backroom staff left the country when everything started kicking off, but I decided that I would stay.

"My wife is Chinese and we have a young son. If there has been any bonus to this it’s that I’ve got to spend so much time with him in the past few months. His English has improved massively.

Pre-season

“Spending time with your family is something you don’t get to do that often as a football manager, you’re usually so busy travelling, particularly in China.”

Travelling, of course, is something that very few people anywhere in the world are doing at the moment and while Nantong’s players begin the process of starting what effectively amounts to a second pre-season, White admits that the sport is now in a very different place to the one it occupied at the start of the year.

“A lot has changed,” says White. “We played a pre-season match on January 22 and then effectively went into lockdown almost immediately after.

“I’ve tried to keep in touch with my players as much as I can. In a situation like this it’s all about communication and making sure that your players and staff are safe.

"They’ve had training plans mapped out for them and exercises they can do in their apartments. But there’s obviously no substitute for playing matches and getting that sharpness.

“It will take a long time for things to get back to normal here. Pre-match handshakes, for example. Handshakes have been off the table for so long that they might disappear completely.

"You might also have players thinking twice about flying into tackles and being in close contact with others on the pitch. All the things that have kept people safe for the past three months are suddenly going to have to go out of the window.”

The process that China is now going through is the same one that English football and leagues across Europe will have to adapt to once the crisis abates.

Managers will doubtless relish the opportunity of speaking to their charges on the training ground rather than through messaging apps. The players, meanwhile, will be looking forward to the prospect of having the ball at the feet on wide open spaces instead of training at home.

It’s hard to know the true impact that the pandemic has had until life gradually begins to return to normal. In China it's already clear that the impact has been significant.

The country’s footballers will now hope to bring back a semblance of normality.

Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

WHAT ARE NFTs?

     

 

    

 

   

 

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.

 

An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.

 

This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.

 
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Going grey? A stylist's advice

If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet