Shanghai citizens welcome the Olympics with sports, and the popularity of "ice and snow sports" remains unabated
June 23 is International Olympic Day. With more than a month to go before the Paris Olympics, Shanghai citizens are becoming more and more enthusiastic about sports. This weekend, the 2024 Shanghai Fourth Citizens Games Municipal Selection and Shanghai Workers Dryland Curling Selection "Waigang Cup" Dryland Curling Invitational Tournament will bring a touch of coolness to the summer; the 2024 Xinmin Evening News Double Happiness Cup Olympic Table Tennis Open will welcome masters from all walks of life.
At the Jiading District Citizen Fitness Center, the "Waigang Cup" Dryland Curling Invitational Tournament, the 2024 Shanghai 4th Citizens Games Municipal Selection and Shanghai Workers Dryland Curling Selection, attracted 26 teams from various districts of the city, a total of 128 people, to gather at the venue to enjoy the fun of curling.
Children who used to sit in the audience and watch their parents compete have become the protagonists this year. The "Waigang Cup" Dry Land Curling Invitational Tournament has added two new categories: family and parent-child group and individual group. Unlike the mixed team competition, which requires higher professional skills, the family and parent-child group competition is more interesting and entertaining. Parents and children discuss competition skills together on the field, and each serves as a "captain" to command the other side to throw the stone. They work together to win the game and share parent-child time. The individual group competition is also interesting. The contestants push the stone freely on the table and experience a different kind of curling fun.
"The teams participating this year are all very strong. Fortunately, the Yingfei curling training camp continues to be carried out, and the old team members have trained a group of new curling blood." Xu Liqin, chairman of the labor union of Yingfei Tongren Fan Co., Ltd., said: "The government is very supportive of our sports team building. Not long ago, the Waigang Town Cultural and Sports Center also jointly with the Federation of Trade Unions and the Women's Federation distributed competitions to the company. Employees have participated in the curling project and are very enthusiastic."
Liu Xiaoguang, an employee of Shanghai Beitong Color Technology Co., Ltd., participated in the competition of the family parent-child group, with his son and his son. Liu Xiaoguang is a sports enthusiast. He and his colleagues organized a badminton team and trained regularly. In the badminton competition of the Second Citizens Games of Waigang Town this year, the team also won several medals. "It's a pity that my skills are not good enough. Now I am only at the beginner level, otherwise I would have represented the company to participate in the competition." Liu Xiaoguang said: "Sports are about participation. Participating in the dryland curling competition with my son can make him more familiar with a sport, and the competition can also strengthen the relationship between father and son, killing two birds with one stone."
In the six years since dryland curling was launched in Jiading, it has gone from being little known to being one of the most popular sports in the district, thanks to the promotion and popularization of various streets and towns. Waigang Town and Jiading Industrial Zone have introduced dryland curling projects to enterprises to promote sports construction in the park; Malu Town has promoted the project to the "business circle" in conjunction with the community health games, injecting new vitality into other commercial entities; Juyuan New District relies on the Party and Mass Service Center to provide citizens with detailed dryland curling training... Various activities around the dryland curling project have also cultivated a group of "curling fans".
From entertainment to competition, the contestants are very particular about curling. Once the curling stones of the two teams are very close in the scoring area, the referee needs to use precise measuring tools to "separate the winner". Xing Wei, general manager of Furui Sports Culture Co., Ltd., told reporters, "After the Beijing Winter Olympics, the public's enthusiasm for dryland curling has not diminished. With the establishment and improvement of the competition rules, dryland curling has the conditions to hold higher-level competitions and is suitable for participation by people of all ages."
In the past two years, Waigang Town has accelerated the pace of economic development, and the corresponding public sports services for enterprises have been continuously improved. Integrate resources and adjust the layout, add employee fitness stations and citizen fitness stations to meet the daily exercise needs of employees; various departments cooperate to provide "Gang Hao Yi Qi Xing" event services according to the actual situation and needs of enterprises; attach importance to the physical fitness of employees, and provide "1V1" scientific fitness guidance for employees; strengthen key support and cultivate high-tech enterprise sports talents; popularize science and skills training to make the concept of national fitness deeply rooted in the hearts of employees.
The relevant person in charge of the Waigang Town Culture and Sports Service Center said, "Implementing the sports service policy for enterprises and providing high-quality and personalized sports services for enterprises is a concrete manifestation of the continuous implementation of the green Waigang development concept. In the future, Waigang Town will continue to expand the scope of services for enterprises, optimize the business environment to create new advantages, promote the construction of a modern new town in Waigang, and contribute to the sports construction of the 'Quanjia Enterprise Movement' park."
This event is guided by the Organizing Committee of the 4th Shanghai Citizens Games, hosted by Shanghai Social Sports Management Center, Shanghai Ice and Snow Sports Association, Jiading District Sports Bureau, Jiading District Federation of Trade Unions, Jiading District Waigang Town People's Government, and Jiading District Sports Federation, and co-organized by Jiading District Social Sports Management Affairs Center, Jiading District Waigang Town Community Sports and Fitness Club, and Shanghai Furui Sports Culture Co., Ltd.
The Xinmin Evening News Double Happiness Cup Olympic Table Tennis Open was held at the Shanghai Sports Palace. During the two-day competition, a total of 400 athletes participated, using table tennis players' way to cheer for the Chinese Olympic athletes who were about to compete in Paris.
Nicknamed "Little A", Zhou Zhengyi is well-known in the Shanghai table tennis circle. He first started playing table tennis during college. After graduation, he worked as a teacher and a chemistry researcher. Eventually, he couldn't resist his love for table tennis and devoted himself to the sports industry. He is now engaged in the joint management of table tennis stadiums.
Xiao A is a "natural competition fanatic". He not only participates in large and small competitions in Shanghai, but also travels to all parts of the country to compete. In 2015, he changed from a competition fanatic to a competition organizer, actively participating in and hosting many points competitions, and becoming a professional table tennis player.
Xiao A has participated in the Xinmin Evening News Double Happiness Cup since its first edition, and has a deep impression of the event. "The level back then was not comparable to today. Professional players would not participate in social events at first." Gradually, as the scale of the competition expanded and the popularity of the event increased, golfers from the Yangtze River Delta region came to participate. Xiao A said: "Although many people were eliminated after one round, participating in this competition is more of a feeling. Everyone feels that they should stand on this stage."
Wen Yaoliang, a policeman from Shiquan Police Station, took the solemn oath on the stage of the opening ceremony as a representative of athletes for the first time. Although his work is very busy, Wen Yaoliang, who is middle-aged, still maintains plenty of physical strength, which he attributes to table tennis.
When he was young, Wen Yaoliang participated in the training of the Youth Sports School, but he stopped after graduating from elementary school. It was not until a few years after he started working that he regained his interest by chance. It happened that his unit organized a table tennis competition. Although he had "childhood skills", he lost in the end and felt "disappointed". So he became passionate about table tennis again and persisted in training.
In the public security system, there is a table tennis team that can fight tough battles. Wen Yaoliang modestly said, "Many people in our team play better than me, and there are many masters." In 2021, the Shanghai Public Security System participated in the National Public Security System Competition and won the first place for women and the third place for men, which made him and his teammates very proud. Not long ago, he participated in the "Minzhi Cup" community table tennis competition. A young female referee recognized him. It turned out that the female referee was also a new police officer. She loved table tennis very much and admired his skills.
For a traditional table tennis event that has been held for 19 years, many people come to participate to continue their love for table tennis. The event has set up an open group for many consecutive sessions. The intensity of the finals is no less than that of the national team competition. Many active and retired national players have also come to make an appearance. This year's team competition before the Spring Festival also attracted Olympic champion Liu Shiwen to participate.
Organize high-quality events to bring together people who love table tennis. This time, the Shanghai Table Tennis Association is committed to providing good services for participants and improving the experience of participating. It also prepared Paris Olympic Games peripherals as souvenirs for participating in the event, so that national fitness can go hand in hand with the Olympics.
