Flying thousands of miles to create history, Chengdu Universiade | Young athletes trained at the Chinese aid sports stadium | Time | Sports Stadium
Chengdu, July 31 (Xinhua) - A few days before the opening of the Chengdu Universiade, it had been raining in the local area. On the afternoon of the 27th, there was drizzle in the sky again. In the No. 2 track and field of Chengdu Universiade Village, athletes from various teams packed their backpacks and prepared to leave. But there are three figures in the distance, still training in the rain.
The reporter approached these three people and chatted about a dream story spanning thousands of miles.
Cape Verde athletes Maurice and Bayani are training at the Universiade Athletics Stadium
"We have a very special connection with China," said coach Leonardo, who is the leader of the delegation to the African island country of Cape Verde at the Universiade.
"The University of Cape Verde and the National Stadium were both built with assistance from China. Before participating in the Chengdu Universiade, we had been training at the National Stadium. So, when we found out we were coming to China to compete, everything felt so wonderful!" Speaking less proficient English, Leonardo tried his best to express his excitement to the reporter.
The Republic of Cape Verde is located on the Cape Verde Islands in the North Atlantic, with a land area of 4033 square kilometers and a population of over 500000. At this Universiade, the Cape Verde delegation only has two athletes, namely Leonardo's disciples Maurice and Bayani, both of whom will participate in athletics competitions. And this will also be the first appearance of Cape Verde athletes on the field of the Universiade.
Training at the sports stadium assisted by China and participating in the Universiade in China has created a unique history for the country, making the trip of three masters and apprentices to China seem particularly meaningful.
On the 30th, the reporter interviewed the master and apprentice again, and they had a deep feeling about this trip to China.
"I love Chengdu so much!" said Bayi Ani, born in 2003. Her previous impression of China was only one word: far. After all, the two countries are thousands of kilometers apart.
After arriving in China, she exclaimed, "It's worth it!"
"Everything is arranged in an orderly manner, the city is very clean, and the facilities of the sports venues are also top-notch. Most importantly, the people here are too enthusiastic and considerate, and I have made many Chinese friends." Bayiani said, and she also learned some Chinese from volunteers. The most fluent word now is "beautiful".
Maurice, who was also born in 2003, was almost moved to tears at the opening ceremony. "During the performance at the opening ceremony, the actors ran upwards in the air, which was too shocking." Although he did not have enough knowledge of Chinese culture, he could feel the meaning conveyed by the performance. Before the opening ceremony ended, he shared his observations and experiences on social media, receiving a full screen of envy from his hometown.
"I feel like I've participated in an Olympics," Morris said.
Leonardo experiences Chinese Paper Cuttings in the Universiade Village
Coach Leonardo said, "When the delegation entered, we saw the three of us on the big screen, and we were very proud and grateful to Chengdu for letting the world see us." He said, "This is our first time participating in the Universiade, and we will do our best. But no matter what the final result is, we have already made history."
The track and field competition of the Chengdu Universiade will start on August 1st. In the days leading up to the competition, Leonardo and his three disciples lived and trained in the Universiade Village located on the campus of Chengdu University. The teaching building on the campus often reminded them of the University of Cape Verde. "The architectural styles are very similar, although they are thousands of miles apart, I feel very familiar here," Leonardo said.
There is a lot they want to know about China. During their time in Chengdu, giant pandas are something they must go see. Bayi Ani said her friends are already envious. Both young people also want to come to China again to study and train. Morris still remembers that when he was a child, he could only practice sprinting on asphalt roads. Later, he entered the University of Cape Verde and was able to train on the tracks of the new campus built with Chinese aid
In order to participate in the Chengdu Universiade, the master and apprentice flew three times for over 25 hours. As Bayani said, the distance between China and Cape Verde is really far.
But the heart is very close.
