Source: Shangguan News Author: Chen Hua
This day is the 91st birthday of Nian Weisi, the leading player in Chinese football.
On May 11, the lobby on the first floor of China Hotel, located in Beijing International Trade Center, was full of festive red, and the four characters "Longevity is stronger than Nanshan" on the background board were powerful. This day is the 91st birthday of Nian Weisi, the leading player in Chinese football.
As last year, Nian Weisi's proud disciple Xu Genbao took the lead to hand in hand with former "1965 National Football League" teammates such as Rong Zhixing, Qi Wusheng, Hu Zhigang, Jin Zhiyang and Wang Junsheng to send birthday wishes to his mentor Nian Weisi. At this moment, represented by Nian Weisi, Xu Genbao, Gao Hongbo and Wu Lei, the four generations of Chinese football masters and apprentices have reunited and inherited.
Xu Genbao and other disciples sent their best wishes for the 91st birthday of their mentor Nian Weisi.
As a disciple of Nian Weisi and a mentor of Wu Lei, Xu Genbao said frankly that Chinese football needs such a master apprentice inheritance. As long as you are kind and grateful, all aspects of development will be relatively smooth. "
Nian Weisi: Birthday after 60
In the history of new China's football, Nian Weisi can be called a leading figure. He has outstanding professional performance in the positions of player, coach and official. At the age of 17, he was selected into the New China Men's Football National Team and participated in the 1956 World Cup qualifiers; In 1954, in order to rapidly improve the level of football, New China decided to send a team to Hungary, a socialist football power, to study. Nian Weisi, 22, was one of 25 students. Today, only Nian Weisi is still alive among the first batch of international players after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Nian Weisi, 91, is in good mental state.
In 1963, at the age of 32, Nian Weisi became the fifth coach of the national men's football team in the history of New China, and then he coached the national football team five times; At the age of 55, Nian Weisi was elected the chairman of the Chinese Football Association and took the helm of China's football development from 1988 to 1992. After retirement, the Chinese Football Association awarded him the "Outstanding Contribution Award for Football", and the Asian Football Association also awarded him the "Lifetime Contribution Award". Nian Weisi is recognized as a famous player in the Chinese football world and enjoys high prestige. His disciples are all over the country. At present, many people are still active in the Chinese football coach position. Among the many disciples of Nian Weisi, Xu Genbao from Shanghai Beach is still fighting in the front line of Chinese football and constantly cultivating talents.
Nian Weisi's Chinese men's football team is the first sports team sent to foreign countries for training in New China.
"We all focus on making contributions to the country. Before I retired, I didn't even know what day I was going to be." Although he was 91 years old, Old Man Nian Weisi was very energetic and methodical. "After 60 years old, the first person to celebrate my birthday was a ball player from Shanghai, whose child came from Shanghai to celebrate my birthday. By the time I was 80 years old, everyone's economic conditions had improved. Genbao said he would celebrate my birthday. There were more than 150 friends gathered together that time. Everyone felt much younger when they got together. On my 90th birthday, Genbao and I said, 'Don't play football if you don't get good results'. Genbao and Rong Zhixing replied, 'We didn't get together for three years, so we should get together on my birthday'. This year, I also want to open up. In fact, we are not just celebrating birthdays, nor just meeting and chatting, but more importantly, inheritance and gratitude. Today, Wu Lei and Wang Shenchao are also here. I am very happy that they are still chasing dreams on behalf of Chinese football. Chinese football needs the efforts of generations. Gratitude, inheritance and progress are the eternal theme. "
Xu Genbao: Always grateful
A week ago, Xu Genbao led the Shanghai National Games Team to end a three week overseas training in South Korea. He has been coughing recently because of heavy traffic. Even so, he has been busy in Beijing these days, and the number of people handling the party is "increasing". "Two months ago, I agreed with Nian Zhixing that if it was not my birthday, we would come to Beijing to see you. Later, Rong Zhixing and I said that we would get together in a small scale - mainly the apprentices who were tutored by Nian in Beijing. There were many relatives and friends who were tutored by Nian, and everyone knew that they were enthusiastic to participate, so we ended up with nearly 50 people. In fact, our goal is to be happy, as long as we guide our health every year. "
On the second day of the New Year every year, the disciples trained in Genbao Base will return to the base with their whole families to visit their teachers.
Xu Genbao could not get on the coaching post without the guidance and promotion of the gracious teacher Nian Weisi. In Nian Weisi's autobiography, it was mentioned that "Xu Genbao was transferred from the Nanjing Army when I was coaching the national team in 1965. He played left back in the team. He was fast, nimble, and brave to fight. The tackle was still correct after it was scratched, and he had never heard of being afraid of words. He liked to use his head when playing football, and was very powerful in assists." The elderly always believed that among the four groups of national football players he had brought, Xu Genbao is his most proud apprentice. "Genbao has the unique ingenuity of Shanghai people. He has a broad mind and a broad mind, but also has the perseverance and courage of northerners."
Xu Genbao made it clear for the first time that without the cultivation and promotion of Nian Weisi, there would be no present self. He said frankly that if he did not have the opportunity to coach the National Second Team at the beginning, it would be difficult to become the head coach of the Chinese Olympic team next, and there would be no later words like coaching Shenhua, creating Genbao Football Base, etc., his life path would be completely different. "After I finished my studies at Beijing Sport University, I had the opportunity to compete for the head coach of the National Team II. In fact, there were many candidates in the competition. Finally, the guidance in gave me an opportunity, and I began to embark on the path of professional coach. Therefore, I have always been grateful.
In 2023, Nian Weisi's 90th birthday, the disciples' lineup will be more complete.
On May 11, 2012, Xu Genbao held Nian Weisi's 80th birthday in the Metropolitan Hall of China Hotel in Beijing. The most moving scene of the day appeared in the farewell after the banquet. Nian Weisi took out a yellow passbook and wanted to "return" it to Xu Genbao, but Genbao refused to accept it. When asked, it turned out that Xu Genbao had handed over his retirement pension to his mentor, but his annual guidance was not spent at all.
Xu Genbao did not forget his teacher's kindness and took action. His disciples saw it and kept it in mind. The master and apprentice passed on the baton to Wu Lei, Wang Shenchao and other Xu Genbao's disciples in Chongming Island.
Now, every year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Chongming Island Genbao Football Base will become a big gathering for Xu Genbao's disciples to visit their teachers. As long as one is in Shanghai, Wu Lei, Yan Junling, Zhu Chenjie and other disciples will visit their mentor on the island to say a happy birthday, and also listen to Genbao's well meaning "chatter" again The love between teachers and students and the righteousness of the Jianghu, in the hearts of these footballers who have wandered around since childhood, the birthday of a mentor has a special meaning, and it is also a concept inheritance of respecting teachers and valuing morality.
Wu Lei: Director Xu is the best example
As the "junior generation of football" on the scene, Wu Lei and Wang Shengchao, who went to Beijing that day, cut the birthday cake together with Nian Weisi, the birthday star. The day before yesterday, Wu Lei made the first round on behalf of the Shanghai Harbor Team, helping the team beat Changchun Yatai Team 5-2. Wu Lei scored two impressive performances; Wang Shenchao came on as a substitute and played well. "We were very excited on the day of the game and couldn't sleep at night, so we got up after four hours to catch the plane," said Wu Lei.
On May 1, Wu Lei, a player of Shanghai Harbour Team, celebrated his goal in the match. On the same day, in the ninth round of the 2024 Chinese Football Association Super League in Qingdao, Shandong Province, Shanghai Harbor Team defeated Qingdao Manatee Team 5-0 away. Photographed by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ziheng
Seeing the seniors get together and talk happily, Wu Lei and Wang Shenchao's original tiredness seems to disappear instantly. "I feel very envious. Director Xu and so many comrades in arms get together. They are 70 and 80 years old, and they are still celebrating their 91st birthday for the Teacher's Year. How happy it is. It's a good thing that everyone gets together every year and has a good opportunity to communicate. In the future, we also hope to follow Xu's guidance and never forget the teacher's kindness. "
In Wu Lei's opinion, visiting Xu Genbao on the second day of the New Year is a way for disciples to pay tribute to their teachers. "Almost every year, the members of our base will go to Chongming Island to visit Xu Dao. Everyone has a lot of regrets when they get together. After all, we have lived here for so long and formed a deep friendship. In fact, celebrating a birthday is just a form, and the important thing is spirit and inheritance. The spirit of director Xu and his teammates to celebrate the birthday together for the New Year is very good, which shows that Chinese football players are affectionate, loyal, united and cooperative, and needs to be inherited. "
Before the banquet, Xu Genbao did not forget to tell Wu Lei and Wang Stanley.
"Last year, we had more people guiding our 90th birthday, which was a bit lively and lively. Wu Lei and Wang Shenchao had games and could only send video congratulations. This year, Wu Lei and Wang Shenchao also had league tasks. It should be said that they are the player representatives of Genbao Football Base, which also brought more vitality to the scene." Xu Genbao said that he specifically asked their opinions, After receiving a positive reply, he also applied with Shanghai Harbour Club, "Although it is a rest day, they are members of the club, and I also reported to the club and obtained relevant approval."
At the birthday party, there was a handful of flowers giving off a faint fragrance. It is reported that Song Kai, chairman of the Chinese Football Association, sent this gift to the old man for his birthday. "President Song has already congratulated the director in advance on his birthday. He learned that Wu Lei and Wang Shenchao came to celebrate the old generation's birthday, and he also gave special praise." Xu Genbao said, "Now society is seeking personal interests, and there are not many people who know how to be grateful. Therefore, when I educate my team members, I always ask them to play football well and be good people. I believe in one thing. You can develop smoothly only if you have a good personality. Look at Wu Lei and Wang Shenchao. They don't smoke, drink or tattoo. Their character is also dutiful. It is not unreasonable that their football career develops smoothly. "
