Chengdu Universiade | Reporter's note: As a member of the Chinese delegation, what was the experience of entering the opening ceremony of the Universiade for college students | Sports | Universiade

Chengdu, July 29th (Xinhua) - Thank you for inviting me. I am in Dayun Village, Chengdu and have just returned to my dormitory.

It was already the early morning of the 29th, and as I returned to the dormitory in Dayun Village, this sentence came to my mind. On the evening of the 28th, the Chengdu Universiade opened at the main stadium of Dong'anhu Sports Park. As a sports journalist, it was normal to return to my residence in the early morning of the second day of the large-scale event opening ceremony, but this time it was different from before.

On July 28th, the Chinese college student sports delegation entered the opening ceremony

Thanks to the opportunity provided by the China University Student Sports Association, I worked as a media liaison for the Chinese University Student Sports Delegation at the Chengdu Universiade, still engaged in media related work. However, as a member of the delegation, this also means that at the opening ceremony of the Universiade, I did not sit in front of my computer typing the keyboard, but walked into the stadium wearing the delegation's team uniform.

If someone asks about their feelings this time in the future, what would I say?

On the afternoon of July 28th, the Chinese delegation gathered and departed from the apartment building

For sports journalists, this is an irresistible opportunity. On the 28th, the busy day arrived without any anticipation or anxiety. I closed my documents and computer, and it was not far from the gathering time of 5:30 pm. This is a later time than expected, which also demonstrates the confidence of the Chengdu Organizing Committee in the transportation organization work.

The reporter followed the women's volleyball team to board the bus

I originally wanted to catch a bus with the men's volleyball or tennis team, where I could meet up and pick the two flag bearers of the Chinese delegation, Hu Zhenzhuo or Guo Hanyu, on the way. However, I was later taken onto the women's volleyball bus by the crowd. Due to missing dinner during the opening ceremony, everyone received a meal package, which was also quite rich in content.

The vehicle started, climbed onto the bridge, crossed the farmland, and at the intersection, many Chengdu residents stood with smiles on their faces, waving warmly towards the inside of the car with amazement and joy. The women's volleyball girls in the car waved in response.

On the way to the sports stadium, Chengdu citizens waving warmly outside the bus

According to the plan, the delegation will take a brief rest in the sports hall of Dong'an Lake Sports Park, get off the vehicle, and more and more volunteers will appear on the roadside. "Little Green Pepper" is their nickname. "Welcome to Chengdu!" They warmly greeted each other, and the stickers in their hands also caught the attention of the team members. Everyone wanted stickers for the five-star red flag or the mascot "Rongbao" to be pasted on their faces or registration cards.

Members of the delegation stick themselves stickers with a five-star red flag

The entrance of the gymnasium is on the second floor, and the volume of the "little green peppers" suddenly increased due to the arrival of the delegation. They stood in a row at the entrance of the venue, and the sound of "China team, cheer" never stopped. What was even more impressive was the shout of "Rise!".

At this point, many delegations are already waiting in the audience seats of the museum, and the Chinese team has also arrived at the outer platform in the order of the projects. The teams of various projects took photos and videos together. At the beginning, everyone's slogans were "Let's work hard" and "Brave to win first place", but in the end, they all became "Xiongqi" with a Sichuan accent.

"Xiongqi" became the group photo slogan of many teams of the Chinese delegation on that day

The sky is getting dark, and the delegation is preparing to move towards the sports stadium. At the end of the team, we suddenly heard cheers ahead. Looking up, a huge five-star red flag had already appeared in front of the team, and the lights outside the museum were shining on it, like a classic oil painting of a battle and charge scene. The sound of cheers suddenly spread from the front to the back.

The national flag appeared in front, causing cheers in the delegation's formation

Continuing forward, the cheers of cheering around became louder and louder. If a person stands near the sports stadium, it is enough to determine the distance between the Chinese delegation and the sports stadium through the increasing sound waves. On the road leading from the second floor of the stadium to the entrance of the first floor, volunteers, security personnel and other staff created a welcoming atmosphere for the Chinese delegation. The resounding "Cheer up!" and "Rise up!" were accompanied by the flashing lights of their phones and the surging emotions on their faces.

The team waited for a moment, some raised their phones to record the surrounding scenes, some started taking selfies in groups of three or five, and some exchanged news they had just seen: "Qin Haiyang broke the world record!" "Wang Shuang scored a penalty!" Although Chengdu is far from Fukuoka and Adelaide, the hearts of Chinese athletes are very close.

Staff cheering and cheering on both sides of the road

Entering the entrance passage, cheers and cheers became louder, reaching their peak when the stadium lights suddenly turned red. "What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower" echoed on the field, raising the flag in our hands and stepping into the field. We were submerged in tremendous enthusiasm and sound. Until I sat down, my mood couldn't calm down for a long time.

On July 28th, the Chinese college student sports delegation entered the opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was very exciting, and after the end, the delegation stood up and left. Performers, flag bearers, and other staff lined up in two teams at the position of the runway, clapping goodbye to us walking in it. The shouting of the people of Sichuan rising up from the surrounding stands kept coming one after another. "Cheer up for the competition!" "Play well!" There were also other media liaison officers in the team. Faced with enthusiastic and expectant gazes, we felt guilty at one point and could only reply with "hard work". However, later on, we gradually realized that if volunteers and staff demonstrated 100% enthusiasm in Chengdu during the Universiade, then within a few hours at Dong'an Lake Sports Park, the 200% enthusiasm we felt throughout was not for ourselves, but for the five-star red flag on our chest.

When the return bus started, it was already late at night. When it arrived at the city where it was departing, there were even Chengdu citizens standing on the roadside, waving at us inside the bus, and we responded with a strong wave. Returning to the village, it was already past midnight, and the restaurant was still fully served, with busy staff everywhere. The opening ceremony venue may have a different atmosphere, ending the long preparation. This opening ceremony is worth the rest of the time for the cast to relax and enjoy. For the participants of the Chengdu Universiade, different positions may have different experiences on this night.

But as a member of the Chinese university sports delegation, I believe that for the question at the beginning, the answers from the group members will be as clear as mine. On the opening night in Chengdu, the biggest feeling can be summarized in eight words - "Clear love, only for China.".

Image: Zheng Zhi, Zhao Zishuo, Zhang Liyun

Video: Ji Jiadong, Zheng Zhi