BEIJING: Move beyond the roar of the crowd for a moment and the most powerful sound at the 15th National Games might be the friendly banter on a shuttle bus or the shared anecdotes over a meal.
As the first-ever National Games co-hosted by Guangdong province and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions captivate the nation, the most enduring victories are perhaps being forged not on the podium, but through personal connections — deeper bonds that are bringing Hong Kong and Macao closer to the Chinese mainland.
A tapestry of unity is being woven, thread by thread, as young athletes cross boundaries to compete, and volunteers welcome them with the full-hearted support of a hometown crowd.
Rico Cheung Siu-hang, 23, a 110-meter hurdler from Hong Kong, who is poised to make his National Games debut this year, said he is eager to engage with his peers from other provincial delegations for the exchange of technical expertise as much as for the shared sense of camaraderie.
When athletes from across the country gather for sports events, they not only share “trade secrets”, but also stories about their hometowns, about the local delicacies and hidden travel gems, Cheung said, noting that such anecdotal exchanges happen mostly over meals.
“It’s in these moments that our visceral links form,” he said, adding that these organic, off-track interactions over the years have profoundly enriched his perspective of different parts of China, fostered a more nuanced understanding of the whole nation and strengthened his sense of national identity.
In preparation for the National Games, Cheung honed his skills in Shanghai this August under the guidance of Sun Haiping, who also coached China’s hurdles race star and Olympic champion Liu Xiang.
Cheung arrived in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, with the rest of the Hong Kong athletics team on Wednesday, days ahead of his competition, which is scheduled at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center on Nov 19.
The hurdler said he is particularly ecstatic about the “precious time window” he is getting, which is a departure from his usually tightly managed competition itineraries, and plans to use it for a leisurely visit to the city’s landmark Canton Tower. The 600-meter-tall multipurpose tower is nicknamed “Slim Waist” for its unique twisted design. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
