A New Interaction -- On the Exchange between the Mainland Olympic Champion and the Elite Athletes of Hong Kong Sports Academy

Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong, December 5

Xinhua News Agency reporters Pan Yi, Wang Yao, Wei Hua

Before the end of the visit of mainland Olympic athletes to Hong Kong, 14 mainland gold medal athletes and weightlifting coach Shao Guoqiang from the Tokyo Olympic Games came to the Hong Kong Institute of Physical Education on the 5th to have a close exchange with Hong Kong's young elite athletes.

Zhong Angel, the champion of the women's track cycling team race in Rio and Tokyo, and Li Huishi, a famous cyclist from Hong Kong, shared their sympathy and shared memories of the past fights on the world track. Angel Zhong said, "We two often meet in big competitions. Every game between us has left a deep impression on me."

Several interesting competitions were then held on the scene. In two bicycle in situ races, Wang Yilu, the badminton mixed doubles champion of the Tokyo Olympic Games, defeated Li Zhigang, a karate player from Hong Kong, and Sun Mengya, the women's 500m synchronized rowing champion of the Tokyo Olympic Games, narrowly defeated Mai Songwei, a table tennis player. The interesting competition scenes, the earnest attitude of the players and the guidance of Angel Zhong and Li Huishi caused bursts of applause and laughter.

The second exchange game was a half court round trip in the badminton court to turn off the four corner fluorescent lights. The one who took less time won. The Olympic team sent trampoline champion Zhu Xueying, diving champion Wang Zongyuan and badminton champion Wang Yilu. Hong Kong sent table tennis and martial arts players. Zhu Xueying won, while Wang Zongyuan and Wang Yilu both lost by 0.03 seconds.

The third race was a 250 meter dynamometer race. Under the guidance of Zhang Ling, the Olympic rowing champion, Gong Lijiao, the Olympic women's shot put champion, and Liu Shiying, the women's javelin champion, both won easily. Liu Shiying rowed at a surprisingly fast rate. After the competition, she told everyone that she had been exposed to this kind of training at ordinary times, and each time it was 2000 meters. Everyone in the venue was amazed at this.

The last match was a pure mixed doubles badminton match. Wang Yilu partnered with Hong Kong young player Liao Kaiqiao against Hong Kong young players Wei Ziwan and Huang Yi. The two sides fought in a methodical manner, and Wang Yilu and Liao Kaiqiao won in the end. In his speech after the game, Wei Ziwan said: "It's a great honor to have the opportunity to compete with such a strong opponent today."

Although Xu Xin, a popular table tennis champion, did not get a chance to play in the four interesting competitions, he was still one of the focuses of the audience. Many Hong Kong table tennis players who played said Xu Xin was their idol. After the fun game, a large number of Hong Kong young players held rackets and waited for Xu Xin to sign and take a group photo.

Xu Xin told reporters at the scene: "Although I didn't play, we felt very comfortable when we were in close contact with so many young players."

A 19-year-old Hong Kong women table tennis player hopes to have the opportunity to compete with Xu Xin in mixed doubles. Xu Xin hopes that she can achieve her goal as soon as possible, make rapid progress and participate in the competition on behalf of the Hong Kong team as soon as possible. "Then we will have a chance to fight."

Hong Kong is a blessing for Xu Xin, who won many championships in the East Asian Games held in Elisaber Stadium in 2009. In October this year, Xu Xin was elected Vice President of the Asian Table Tennis Federation. Speaking of promoting the exchange of table tennis between Hong Kong and the mainland, Xu Xin said: "Although I am currently active, I am also doing the promotion of table tennis. Through this Olympic Games, many people have joined the family of table tennis. I hope that table tennis can be promoted not only in schools and sports academies, but also in every environment, so that more people like this sport."

When it comes to table tennis in Hong Kong, Xu Xin believes that the table tennis market in Hong Kong is particularly good. "From yesterday's performance to today's exchange, I hope that more people who love table tennis can come to the scene. I also hope that I can have more opportunities to come to Hong Kong and interact with more friends. This interaction is still a little short, and it is not enjoyable."

He said: "Table tennis in Hong Kong has developed very well. There are many excellent young players who have played against us more and more times. What we see is that the Hong Kong team won the bronze medal of the women's team in the Tokyo Olympic Games. I believe they will have better results in the future."

Accompanied by Dr. Li Cuisha, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Physical Education, the mainland Olympic delegation also visited various training facilities of the Institute and listened carefully to Li Zhongmin, a former Hong Kong fencer, who explained the teaching of the Institute.