The Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) called on the government Thursday to cultivate local football players from an early age and to establish football coaching in elementary schools around the country in an effort to promote the sport. Speaking at a news conference at the National Stadium in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, CTFA Chairman Lu Kun-shan said the golden age to start cultivating a football player is between the ages of 8 and 12, and that the association is outlining a program with the Ministry of Education and Sports Affairs Council to organize football education for school children and hold international tournaments to provide a sporting stage for football. Lu said that the FIFA World Cup has a high market value and has become a stimulus factor to help forge national solidarity for the competing countries, and that it is a pity Taiwan is absent from the eye-catching event. He said the government and local companies should work together to sponsor and cultivate athletes in Taiwan. The association plans to establish a football league with at least 12 professional teams by 2018, Lu went on, adding that if Taiwan starts to cultivate young athletes now, it will be able to participate in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2019. If it can do this, Taiwan could have the chance of qualifying for the 2038 FIFA World Cup, Lu said. The national stadium in Kaohsiung City will screen the World Cup Final live, with the kick-off late July 11. 