How did a small green lotus grow—— Observation Volunteers for Volunteer Service Preparation for the Hangzhou Asian Games | Hangzhou | Volunteers

Hangzhou, August 25th, Xinhua News Agency - Question: How does a leaf of "Little Green Lotus" grow—— Observation on the Preparation Work of Volunteer Service for the Hangzhou Asian Games

Xinhua News Agency reporters Wu Shuai, Huang Xiao, and Cui Li

Since the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit, volunteers dressed in green and youthful attire, representing the image of the city by Xizi Lake, have gained a nickname - "Little Qinghe".

Nowadays, as the opening of the Hangzhou Asian Games approaches, another group of "young lotus" who will undertake volunteer services for the event have "just grown". Walking through the Asian Games Village and various venues, young figures are ready to welcome the grand event.

On August 24th, volunteers from the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Paralympics participated in the expedition ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi

"Xiaoqinghe" is ready

At the first Asian U16 Women's Volleyball Championship held recently, volunteer Lin Anqi from Zhejiang Foreign Languages University was responsible for coordinating and serving the Iranian team. As an important test competition before the Asian Games, this competition has also become a "mock exam" for volunteers.

Starting from the entry of the team, Lin Anqi gradually felt the responsibility on her. "Although we had undergone multiple rounds of training before, including basic skills, volunteer etiquette, and other general training, as well as special training for different countries and regions, taking on the communication service responsibilities of a team really put a lot of pressure."

On August 18th, volunteers for the Hangzhou Asian Games listened to training courses at the Asian Games Village. Photo by Le Jiajun

As of early July this year, more than 19000 pre hired volunteers from 43 universities have made early appearances in over 50 "Charm Hangzhou" series of competitions and drills.

"Coordinating the training venue time, arranging vehicles, guiding team members into the field..." These tasks all require me to communicate and coordinate, like the 'big butler' of the entire team. "Lin Anqi said that from a slight panic at the beginning to receiving unanimous praise from the team coach and leader, she and her companions gained experience and confidence through the test competition.

It is reported that the recruitment of volunteers for the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games was launched in May 2021. After global recruitment and supplementary recruitment, a total of 317000 people successfully applied, and 37600 volunteers were ultimately selected, mainly from 46 universities in Zhejiang Province. They also attract professional forces such as competitions, minority languages, and medical services to society. In addition, there are about 400 volunteers from outside Zhejiang Province, and about 400 other representative groups.

According to the Volunteer Department of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, the volunteer teams for this year's Asian Games and Asian Paralympics have presented characteristics such as professionalism, representativeness, universality, and internationalization. For example, this includes experienced volunteers who have participated in the Beijing Winter Olympics and other events, as well as professionals in the fields of healthcare and competition.

On August 24th, volunteers from the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Paralympics participated in the expedition ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi

Inheriting the spirit of volunteer service

In 2016, Yao Lingwei, a Turkish teacher at Zhejiang Foreign Studies University, was a volunteer at the G20 Hangzhou Summit. "At that time, I was at the G20 Multilingual Service Center, mainly providing real-time interpretation services."

Seven years have passed, and Yao Lingwei, the former "Little Qinghe", has now become a volunteer trainer for the Hangzhou Asian Games. She and her colleagues will be responsible for training volunteers to connect with delegation leaders and officials in the Asian Games Village.

"At present, more than 100 of our backbone volunteers have been fully deployed, divided into five regions: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and Central Asia, for targeted training." Yao Lingwei said that these volunteers are equivalent to delegation assistants, and many information communication and needs communication need to be completed by them. The characteristics of long service time and high comprehensive requirements will bring considerable challenges.

To ensure excellent service performance of volunteers, the volunteer training program for this Asian Games includes three main parts: general training, venue training, and job training. Specifically, it also includes targeted training on cross-cultural communication skills.

On August 18th, volunteers for the Hangzhou Asian Games listened to training courses at the Asian Games Village. Photo by Le Jiajun

"In addition to refining the training plan and preparing well before the competition, we have experienced and experienced the work pressure and intensity of volunteers, so we will always pay attention to the psychological state of each volunteer, provide emotional counseling in a timely manner, and do a good job in ensuring the safety of volunteers." Yao Lingwei said.

In addition to the words and deeds of trainers, there are also many mentors around the volunteer team. Hangzhou citizen Ji Yue is a social recruitment volunteer who has been working in a state-owned enterprise for two years. His work experience often allows him to share experiences with his friends.

"In fact, training and communication are also a process of mutual learning between us volunteers. My work experience can be shared with everyone, and their affinity and enthusiasm are also areas where I need to learn," Ji Yue said.

The power of youth is ready to be unleashed

"This is a passage for officials of the delegation during the competition, everyone remember the route..." Volunteers for the Hangzhou Asian Games are currently conducting venue surveys, following the staff responsible for venue operations, familiarizing themselves with each route and functional area, and the entire process is compact and meticulous. The preparation work for volunteer service has entered the sprint stage.

On August 24th, the volunteer deployment ceremony for the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games was held at the Sports Center of Zhejiang University Zijingang Campus. 1800 volunteer representatives from the competition sent invitations to the world at the ceremony, saying, "Come on, friends!"

On August 24th, guests presented flags to the volunteer teams at the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games volunteer deployment ceremonies. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi

Student volunteer representative Zhao Hongyan said, "We are ready to focus on every process, step, and detail in volunteer service, and contribute our youthful energy to the successful hosting of the grand event with meticulous, precise, and exciting services."

Fang Pan, Assistant Project Coordinator of the National Olympic Committee and Paralympic Committee Service Team at the Hangzhou Asian Games, said that for many young people, participating in volunteer service at the Asian Games is like experiencing a large-scale social practice, which not only enhances their personal abilities and knowledge; It is still a rare opportunity for cultural exchange, allowing young people to become cross-cultural observers and communicators up close.

International volunteer representative Mustafa said that the Hangzhou Asian Games is not only a sports event, but also a cultural exchange and mutual learning event. I will work together with international volunteers from all over the world to promote the spirit of "dedication, friendship, mutual assistance, and progress", strive to complete volunteer services, and become a good cultural communicator.

"Volunteers represent the vitality of contemporary youth, the vitality of cities, and the future. We hope that they have solid skills and knowledge to serve the competition well, and we also hope that they enjoy it and enjoy the atmosphere of the Asian Games." Fang Pan said.