Talk about family and country feelings and share national glory_General Administration of Sport of China

As soon as they arrived in Hong Kong on August 29, the delegation of mainland athletes of the Paris Olympics felt the warm welcome of Hong Kong compatriots all the time. Everyone said that this is a strong sense of home and country, and a deep friendship between compatriots. Everyone looks forward to having more exchanges and interactions with Hong Kong compatriots during their stay in Hong Kong, conveying the Chinese sports spirit, and sharing the glory of the Chinese nation.

The mainland Olympic delegation has a total of 65 athletes. Except for Zheng Qinwen who participated in the US Open, all other gold medalists came to Hong Kong. In addition, there are 6 outstanding athletes who did not win gold medals but performed well and received much attention and love from the people of Hong Kong and Macao, especially young people. They cover shooting, diving, weightlifting, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, swimming, track and field, canoeing, boxing, cycling and other events. There are veterans who have participated in the Olympics many times and won numerous awards, such as Ma Long, the captain of the men’s table tennis team who participated in four consecutive Olympic Games and won 6 gold medals, and rookies in the Olympic arena, such as Cui Chenxi, a skateboarder born in 2009.

Also accompanying the delegation were eight gold medal coaching representatives, including diving team leader Zhou Jihong and coach Zhao Wenjin, synchronized swimming team coach Zhang Xiaohuan, table tennis team coach Li Jun, badminton team coach Tao Jiaming, shooting team coach Ge Hongzhuan, weightlifting team coach Wang Guoxin, and rhythmic gymnastics team coach Sun Dan.

Fan Zhendong, the men’s singles champion of the Paris Olympics table tennis, is participating in the Hong Kong visit for the first time with the delegation. “I am very happy to come to Hong Kong for exchanges. I hope that in the coming time, I can have very close interactions with friends from all walks of life in Hong Kong with the delegation.”

Unlike Fan Zhendong, this is Ma Long’s fourth visit to Hong Kong. When talking about the difference from the last time, he said: “There are definitely many differences, but the same thing is that I can feel the warm welcome from the Hong Kong SAR government and Hong Kong citizens both times. On the road and outside the hotel, many citizens and friends welcomed us, which touched me very much. I hope that this visit to Hong Kong will give me more opportunities to interact with Hong Kong friends. I believe this will also be a special memory in my career.”

As the captain of the Chinese table tennis team, Ma Long’s next plan after the Paris Olympics has attracted a lot of attention. He said: “At least now I am still an athlete. If there is any change, I will let everyone know.”

Many Hong Kong citizens like Olympic diving champion Quan Hongchan very much, and hope to witness the “disappearing water splash” with their own eyes. Quan Hongchan said that she wanted to thank her Hong Kong friends who have supported her along the way, “I hope you will pursue your passion and never give up.”

When asked what qualities young people should have and how he can set a good example, swimming champion Pan Zhanle said: “Don’t be afraid of hardship or fatigue, and win glory for the country.”

Zhang Yufei is quite familiar with Hong Kong. She has been to Hong Kong several times when participating in the Swimming World Cup Hong Kong Station. She likes local food, such as shrimp dumplings and barbecued pork buns, and even said the names of these two delicacies in Cantonese. Regarding the Paris Olympics, Zhang Yufei said that her biggest gain is that she has more courage and experience in facing difficulties. “No one is willing to face difficulties. Practicing swimming has taught me what to do when facing a difficulty and what kind of mentality to have when facing more difficulties. Although I am not doing very well now, I should be doing a little better than I did three years ago.”

The Education University of Hong Kong recently announced that Paris Olympic synchronized swimming champions Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi have been admitted to the school’s Doctor of Education (Chinese class) and have received the school’s special scholarship for outstanding athletes established in 2024. The two have completed the enrollment registration procedures and will officially become students of the Education University of Hong Kong in September. As for why she chose to study in Hong Kong, Wang Liuyi said that Hong Kong is a very international city. Choosing here can enhance our international vision, and Hong Kong universities can also provide students with good educational resources. She said: “During the preparation period for the Paris Olympics, technological assistance was one of the key factors in improving the performance of the Chinese synchronized swimming team, so we chose the major of physical education and sports science. We hope to combine our training experience to further enhance our professional knowledge and professional skills and contribute to the development of Chinese synchronized swimming.”

According to the itinerary for the visit to Hong Kong, in the next two days, the Olympic athletes will go to the Hong Kong Sports Institute, St. Paul’s College, Tseung Kwan O Fire and Ambulance Services College, South China Athletic Association and other places to carry out exchange activities and participate in activities such as “Olympic Athletes Gala” and “Mainland Athletes Show Style”. Through this series of activities, they will continue to share their hard work and progress with Hong Kong compatriots, talk about their feelings for their country and return the support of Hong Kong compatriots. (Reprinted from the 01th page of “China Sports Daily” on August 30)