On April 23, 2022 BNU Zhuhai Sports Meeting was held in the stadium of BNU Zhuhai.
Formations of sports-lover representatives, coaches, undergraduates, postgraduates, athletes, and teaching staff showed up at 8 in the morning, parading in the sunshine, with the national flag and campus flag swaying in the breeze. Each formation wore uniformed clothes, marched in orderly steps, and danced with dynamic movements. The dance presented not only the characteristics of each school/ department but also the youth and energy of students in BNU Zhuhai.
Dai Wei, Director and Secretary-General of the Administrative Committee made an opening address. He highlighted that physical education laid the foundation for fostering students’ virtue and improving their comprehensive quality. President Xi Jinping emphasized in the commending event of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games that doing sports plays an important role in building up people’s all-around development and cultivating their, especially teenagers’ awareness of doing exercises, which should be fully realized and supported. BNU Zhuhai has always adhered to the code of “three-wide education”, which is to educate students through all staff, whole process, and all platforms, and “all-round education”, which is to strengthen moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic education and education on the hard-working spirits at the same time. Zhuhai campus welcomed famous athletes like Lang Ping, Chen Yibing, and He Kexin to deliver lectures and courses, which received students’ positive feedback. Dai encouraged teachers and students to learn and carry forward the Beijing Winter Olympic spirits, summarized by President Xi as “bearing in mind the big picture, being confident and open, rising to the challenges, pursuing excellence, and creating a better future together”. He also hoped that students could strive for scores and excellence in a high spirit and show the Olympic spirits of “faster, stronger, together “in the sports meeting.
1686 athletes participated in the sports meeting, including undergraduates, postgraduates, teaching staff, and logistics staff, competing with each other in 86 sports programs. Participants also included 170 coaches and 76 volunteers. In sports meeting there were not only traditional programs like track-and-field events, ball games, and outward bound, but also interesting ones like cheerleading, tornado running, dragon boating on the ground, and nine-square basketball. The idea of “Public fitness and happy fitness” was fully demonstrated in these various and funny sports programs.
The sports meeting showed an atmosphere of joy everywhere, not only in interesting and competitive individual sports but also in cooperative team sports. Athletes won happiness and friendship in the process of cooperation. They tried their best for honor, displaying the sports spirits of being cooperative and fair, as well as the liveliness and energy of BNU Zhuhai.
Li Ran from Pakistan, who represented the Belt and Road School, took part in the 1500-meter run. He said this sport was chosen because it could increase lung capacity and was thus beneficial to physical conditions. Li felt joyful after the race despite a little tiredness. He thought his regular exercises improved his physical fitness. In his daily life, he is fond of playing football, for it can not only make him strong but also bring him friendship and happiness.
Qin Fen from The Republic of Zimbabwe, who represented the same school as Li Ran did, also took part in the 1500-meter run. He felt surprised that the sports meeting could be held successfully, in spite of the influence of Covid-19. As for the reasons why he chose 1500-meter run, he believed running could improve physical as well as spiritual conditions, making him more positive and energetic. Though he quit the race for some reasons, he still enjoyed the process of exercising.
The foreign teacher Christopher from the School of Future Design admitted to being a little exhausted after taking part in the sports meeting in the morning. But he also expressed the happiness that sports brought. In Germany, sports meeting is competitive in nature and everyone desires to win. By contrast, what he felt here was more of everyone’s active participation and enjoyment in the sports and races than extreme focus on results. As for his ways of doing exercises, he said he has a routine of half-an-hour morning exercises, including yoga and stretching; he also goes hiking sometimes.
Hammad from Pakistan voiced his enjoyment after the race of nine-square basketball and volleyball serving, for the participants did not care about losing or winning too much but purely devoted themselves to the pleasantness of doing sports. He said he was happy about joining the sports meeting and expected the one to be held next time. When asked about daily exercises, he talked about his broad interests in sports. For example, he plays badminton and billiard in his leisure time and goes to the gym often. He also stressed the importance of physical training, which is a good way to keep healthy.
The foreign student Ripond from Bangladesh said the participation in the basketball and volleyball races with other Chinese students made him excited. The young generation in his country mainly plays football, while he has more chances to try other kinds of sports in BNU Zhuhai, a place with a wonderful atmosphere and environment to do sports. He believed the habit of doing exercises has a positive influence on study and life.
Interview with foreign teacher and international students