Song Junfu

Song Junfu coached China’s basketball team at the 1948 London Olympics. Song was educated in private home schools and a Baptist school before he attended the Hangzhou Huilan Middle School, where he played soccer and basketball. In 1916, he went to the United States to study physics at Colby College in Maine, later specializing in sports at Springfield College in Massachusetts.

Returning to China in 1923 Song taught initially at the Huilan Middle School. He later served as a dean and professor of physical education at Hujiang University, Shenyang Northeastern University, Shandong University, Sichuan University and, after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing Normal University.

In 1932 Song coached Liu Changchun, China’s first Olympian, and managed the Chinese track and field and basketball teams at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. During the 1930s, Song wrote several textbooks about basketball and physical education in general and designed sports facilities, including the advanced Qingdao Stadium. In 1964, he was appointed as a member of the 4th Committee of the All-China Sports Federation and of the 4th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.