Athletes from various countries on and off the field share their "Chinese sentiment", and everyone loves the feeling of the Universiade | Chengdu | Universiade

On the evening of the 29th, a unique gathering was held in the Universiade Village of Chengdu. Volunteers invited athletes who celebrated their birthdays during the Universiade to come on stage, and the whole venue sounded with "Happy Birthday" wishes. The night of singing and dancing is the youthful atmosphere of the Universiade.

It's an arena, it's also a big gathering. Coming to China to participate in the Universiade is the wish of many foreign athletes. They share their "first impression" of China through social media and their "circle of friends".

Everyone loves the Chengdu Universiade.

Foreign athletes watched the program at the party.

"The fastest dentist" strives to learn Chinese

Estonian track and field athlete Dennis Samiana is the "Internet celebrity" athlete of the Universiade Village: on the way, this big boy with 2 million fans in Tiktok is stopped by Chinese athletes and volunteers from time to time, asking for a group photo and signature.

"China's high-speed railway is really fast!" On Tiktok, he released his first impression of the Universiade. In early July, Dennis arrived in China early and underwent the final adaptation training before the Universiade at Kunming University of Technology. Before the opening of the Universiade, he shared his journey on the high-speed rail with fans on social media and received over 200000 likes. Afterwards, he shared every exciting moment of his stay in the Universiade Village and participation in the opening ceremony with his fans,

On March 13, 2022, Dennis opened his Tiktok account and continued to publish his training routine and life stories. Dennis is 1.90 meters tall. Because of his handsome and healthy running posture, as well as his frequent sharing of professional running knowledge, and his upcoming participation in the Universiade in China, his Tiktok fans have risen to more than 2 million.

At the Chengdu Universiade, Dennis will participate in the men's 800 meter athletics competition. His best time in the 800 meter race is 1 minute and 47 seconds, while his best time in the 1000 meter race is 2 minutes and 21 seconds. As a master's student in dentistry, he jokingly referred to himself as the "fastest dentist" because no dental student had ever been able to run him before.

During his time in China, Dennis felt very good, and the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade also left a deep impression on him. "Everything is great," Dennis said he is working hard to learn Chinese because he loves this country so much. "I started learning Chinese 40 days ago and I'm not very fluent yet, so I still need to practice." Dennis said that he learned Chinese because he wanted to explore more Chinese cities, but learning Chinese well requires a lot of practice.

The martial arts arena resounds with "My Chinese Heart"

After the martial arts competition at the Chengdu Universiade, a lion dance performance was performed. Dragon leaping and tiger leaping, with exciting scenes, athletes from all over the world cheered and took out their phones to record the exciting scene.

Philippine delegation athlete Jay Millard usually likes to watch Chinese movies and TV shows on television. He said that this time he can experience traditional Chinese culture firsthand, "it's simply amazing!"

On the field of the Universiade, martial arts events have the most Chinese characteristics. The athletes participating in martial arts competitions come from all over the world, but they all have a Chinese heart. The contestants have a strong Chinese charm in their attire and music. Especially for events such as Tai Chi Sword that require music, many foreign players have chosen Chinese songs. "My Chinese Heart" is the soundtrack selected by Brunei athlete WONG Hosea Zheng Yu. As soon as he appeared, he won warm applause from the entire audience. The contestants also used well-known Chinese music such as "Fairy Sword," "Butterfly Lovers," and "Ode to the Red Flag," which resonated with the audience.

Iranian athlete Shahin competes in the South Fist competition.

"I have been to China many times before, but this is my first time coming to Chengdu. Chengdu is very big and clean, and the citizens here are very enthusiastic, leaving a very good impression on me." After winning the silver medal in the women's southern sword event, Korean athlete Zhu Jiaying said that it is very meaningful to be able to compete with the best martial arts experts here.

Female Tai Chi bronze medalist and Malaysian athlete Zeng Sibao said, "In Malaysia, martial arts is not a particularly well-known sport, and my understanding of martial arts is also very limited. As I started practicing martial arts, I gained a deeper understanding of the culture and sources behind martial arts. This time in China, I also hope to learn more about martial arts knowledge."

"Bring all these Chinese gifts home"

With a kite in hand, a Chinese knot in hand, and a picture of the character "Fu" written by oneself, Cyprian swimmer Caria Antonio smiled and said, "I can't even take it anymore."

In the interactive experience center of the Universiade Village, Caria and her friends had a lot of fun playing. "This is my first time coming to China, and I have long heard that Chinese culture is very special. This time, I can finally come and see it with my own eyes." She told reporters that she has already made a kite here, woven a Chinese knot, and wrote calligraphy with a brush. "I have to bring everything back. I also have two younger sisters and one older brother, and I want to share with them."

Holding so many gifts, she turned around and walked into the New Year painting experience room again. Looking at the colorful Chinese New Year paintings on the walls, she couldn't help but marvel. She put down what she had in her hand and was already eager to try it. "I was born in 2000 and I don't know what animal year it is in China," Karia asked the volunteer. After getting the answer of "the Year of the Loong", she was excited, "I want to be a dragon!"

Karia said that she also loves Chinese food very much. "There aren't many Chinese dishes in my hometown, so I'm worried that I might not get used to it when I come here. But after almost a week, I found that everything is delicious! They told me that Chengdu cuisine will be very spicy, really a bit spicy, but I just love it! I like that spicy dumpling, and I also like Xiongmao baozi. It's really cute!"