While foreign footballers are able to run between 10 and 12 kilometres per match, the average Chinese player can barely make it to five or six kilometres because they consume much less milk, The Farmers Daily said.

``It's probably one of the reasons why Chinese footballers have not emerged as a dominant force outside China,'' it said.

The report was based on theories put forth by Guo Shijian, an expert on cattle rearing and the domestic milk industry, on the occasion of international milk day, celebrated today in China.

According to Guo, 15 to 20 per cent of China's population suffers from anaemia linked to calcium deficiency, as Chinese children traditionally do not drink milk after being weaned.

Li Tong, a nutritional expert at a Beijing hospital, told the newspaper that milk consumption not only helps to prevent Anaemia,but also decreases the risk of cardio-vacscular illnesses and cancer.

Statistics indicate that Chinese drink an average of 6.6 litres per annum, compared with the 205 litres by people in developed countries.

In a nation with a fanatical football following, China has never qualified for the World Cup.