Chengdu Universiade athletes look forward to more than just the competitive world | athletes | Universiade athletes
The members of the South African delegation are taking a group photo as a souvenir. Reporter Liang Xuan from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network/Photo taken
The first person to feel the excitement of the Chengdu Universiade athlete village may be the robot making coffee at the entrance of the welcome hall. Since the official opening of Dayun Village on July 22nd, in less than two days, its workload has skyrocketed to "full load" - according to data from Chengdu Customs and the main registration center of Dayun Village, as of the morning of July 24th, delegations from 30 countries and regions have already settled in.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing a real giant panda." Joanna Douglas, a 24-year-old South African diver who just graduated from university and entered the workforce, took a leave of absence to participate in the 31st Chengdu Summer Universiade. She said she doesn't want to miss out on competing with high-level athletes from around the world, nor does she want to give up the opportunity to learn about China and make friends from various countries. More importantly, "Even Olympic athletes have only one or two opportunities to participate in the Universiade."
As is customary, "the age of twenty-twelve is the age when the number of athletes participating in the World University Games is the highest." Eric Senchao, Secretary General and CEO of the International University Sports Federation, stated in an interview with a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network that this age is the transition stage for young athletes to become top athletes and an important moment for the formation of young people's values.
Although the Chengdu Universiade has been postponed twice, the International Federation of Athletes has expanded the eligibility of athletes to participate. The age of participation has been adjusted from the original "18-25 years old" to "18-27 years old", and the original "only for college students who have been in school and graduated for no more than 1 year" has been adjusted to "allow college students who have been in school and graduated within 2020, 2021, and 2022 to participate". However, the goal of the Universiade has not changed. "We hope to help truly promising athletes grow and utilize competition platforms to enable participating college athletes to influence each other, understand the world, broaden their horizons, and develop lifelong beneficial judgment and values," said Eric Senchao.
A special "experience card" in sports career
At this Universiade, the Chinese delegation sent a total of 411 athletes to compete in 18 major events, with an average age of 22.9 years old. Among them, 94.2% of the participants participated in the World University Summer Games for the first time, and 83.6% represented their country in the World Comprehensive Games for the first time.
Xiao Mingxin, a 22-year-old girl from Chengdu, is one of them. As a key member of the artistic gymnastics team at Chengdu Sports Institute, she and five other teammates from the same school will represent the Chinese team in the collective all-around and individual events of the artistic gymnastics event at the Universiade. "Before participating in the Universiade, our Chinese team members were all in the athlete village, and the Universiade was very different. There were athletes from all over the world here, almost all of whom were of the same age.".
In national competitions, this team can be called the "ace teacher", but participating in comprehensive world competitions is still the first time for all team members. "There are Shu embroidery, bamboo weaving, interactive game experience areas that cater to the preferences of young people in the Universiade Village." Xiao Mingxin found that compared to other comprehensive competitions, the cultural exchange atmosphere of the Universiade is not inferior to the competitive atmosphere.
"It's like building a magical community," 20-year-old Finnish basketball player Lukoning Emi told China Youth Daily and China Youth Network. "At the same age and with the same passion, being both a college student and an athlete," making friends is easy. "More importantly, these friends with different cultural backgrounds can help him re-examine his own projects." In the past, the highest level of competition I have participated in was the European Basketball Championship, but at the Universiade, we will be exposed to basketball styles from Asia, America, Africa and other regions. I can't wait to experience everything unknown next. ".
"It's not difficult to predict that the competition with Chinese athletes will be a tough one, after all, the Chinese team is a legend in the diving industry." South African diver Deli Davenport admitted that having the opportunity to challenge higher-level opponents can make her persistence in diving more purposeful. She is currently studying biology at a university in the United States and has not yet determined whether she wants to become a full-time athlete in the future. "Anyway, I don't want to give up diving. Training has become my happiest time every day, and I enjoy the process of constantly overcoming difficulties through hard work." She told China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporters that because the Chengdu Universiade was postponed for two years, she only had the opportunity to participate. "Two years ago, I had the opportunity to participate." I haven't gone to college yet, so I cherish this opportunity to participate. At the same time, she also goes to watch other events, because there is no distinction between sports and events, which is an experience that I haven't had before when participating in diving events.
The freshness of the Universiade was felt by Chinese tennis player Guo Hanyu four years ago. In the 2019 Naples Universiade, she and her partner Ye Qiuyu won the women's doubles championship, becoming the second Chinese pair to win the tennis women's doubles gold medal at the Universiade 18 years after Li Na/Li Ting won the championship at the 2001 Beijing Universiade.
Now returning to the field of the Universiade, Guo Hanyu has transformed from a freshman majoring in sports training at the School of Physical Education of Southwest University to a master's student majoring in sports education. She has also gained a lot of experience in international tournaments on the path of professional tennis. She told China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporters that from a career perspective, the Universiade is more like a precious "experience card", and the focus of the harvest is not on professional rankings or grades, but on friendship and sharing of experiences belonging to young people. "In professional tennis, players will discuss competition planning, coaching style, etc., but in the Universiade, such as' how to balance training and learning 'is a topic that everyone is eager to exchange.".
The significance of sports is not just about competition
Time management is a practical challenge faced by many young people who possess dual identities as both college students and athletes.
Combining his major with sports is the problem-solving approach of 24-year-old Finnish basketball player Lucas. "My major is sports human science, involving biology, medicine, psychology, nutrition, etc., all aimed at helping athletes improve their performance. For me, it's a win-win situation." In his view, as a team sport, basketball has taught him the importance of communication and collaboration, including the "psychological games" in tactics and techniques, which can be transformed into skills to adapt to society. "If you're just a member of a team, you need to understand the importance of support and investment. If you're a leader of a team, you need to learn to help others overcome difficulties, whether we want to become professional players or engage in daily work." Quality is essential.
"Our athletes may be business people, dentists, accountants, or engineers in the future." Chen Weijie, Secretary General of the Singapore Sports Delegation, told China Youth Daily/China Youth Network reporters that at this year's Universiade, 121 Singaporean athletes will participate in 14 major events. They come from different majors in multiple universities in Singapore. "However, no matter what profession they will pursue in the future, I believe that their participation experience in the Universiade will have a profound impact on them."
Chen Weijie once participated in the 2013 Kazan Universiade as a badminton player. Now that he has changed his identity, he can share his experience in participating in world competitions with more young players. "I hope that athletes' gains not only come from the field, but also from using this platform to experience different cultures and broaden their horizons. These accumulations can help them in their future work and life."
"I still keep in touch with the friends I met at the Olympic Games." Huang Yaotang, Deputy Head of the Singapore delegation and Director of the Student Character Development Department of the Sports and Student Leadership Group at the Singapore University of Management, was a high jump athlete who participated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "International competitions can help young people establish friendships across borders. When they learn more about the culture of different countries through sports, they will not only have themselves in their world, but also understand respect and tolerance." Especially in the view of Huang Yaotang, the current Universiade held in Chengdu, it is an opportunity for the younger generation of Chinese Singaporeans to understand the cultural roots. "I am 53 years old this year, my hometown is in Kunming, but this is my first time coming to China, and I feel that..." Very friendly, because I have countless connections with this place
"They are still young and need to know that not everything will go their way. When they win, they know how to face victory elegantly; when they fail, they know how to get up from disappointment and become stronger." Huang Yaotang said that the Universiade is not only a sports event, but also a lesson for young people around the world. "Victory on the field is not everything, as long as they have done their best, they can be proud of themselves, which is what I hope to see."
Chengdu, July 24th (Xinhua)
Reporter Liang Xuan from China Youth Daily and China Youth Network
