2011 SU Update: From Beijing To Shenzhen

Speeches

SHENZHEN – China has always been one of the most successful countries ever in the history of sports. It’s about making sports an important part of your life. Every morning, all over the country, you can find young or old people doing Tai-Chi to have a good day, and also to have a healthy life. People prefer walking or using bicycles to get somewhere rather then using a motorcycle or a car. Sport is in Chinese people’s life from birth, till death.

This sports country is hosting its 4^th big international multi-sports event in the last 10 years. Everything started with the 2001 Beijing Summer Universiade, after that the 2008 Beijing Olympics, then the 2009 Harbin Winter Universiade and now, the 2011 Shenzhen.

China is on of these countries which are always on top of the medal table. But after the 1993 Buffalo Summer Universiade, young sportsmen and sportswomen lost interest to compete in Summer Universiades. All the important athletes withdrew off their Universiade teams and preferred to get ready for the other big sporting events. China, who has always been in the top 3 in the medal table in the history of the Universiade, could not get to the top three of the medal table in three consecutive occasions; 4^th in Fukuoka 1995, 5^th in Sicily 1997 and 5^th in Mallorca 1999. But with the 2001 Beijing Universiade, the hosts were on their way to the top of the medal table again. Also, 2001 Beijing Universiade has produced many Olympics stars, like Guo Jingjing (diver, who has won more medals then any other women diver in the history) who won three gold medals in 2001, and also 2 in Athens and 2 in Beijing, also Liu Xiang, who was the last holder of the torch at the Window of The World Stadium, in the opening ceremonies in Shenzhen 2011.

So, how does hosting big sports events effect the success? Well, it has a direct effect. With building new facilities, you can give the future stars a chance to have great training facilities and opportunities for the future, with making each little girl and boy a part of the event and make them feel the passion, you can give them the love of sports, and with  supporters around the whole country who cheer for their own sportsmen, you can give your competitor to make a history of his/her own.China has done all of these which started with Beijing 2001.

It’s not about just having the facilities or organization while the event is ongoing. You also have to use them afterwards. That’s another part of the success of China. The facilities they’ve built for Beijing 2001 were used for domestic cups, leagues or all other kinds of domestic competitions. And also, this is the reason why China can easily be prepared for the other games. The countries which can not use the facilities they have built for their own games, are still where they were before organizing those sports events. The 3 big events; 2001, 2008 and 2009 had an impact on the citizens of China like it did for the Spanish, in 1992, Barcelona. With the fire of the Barcelona Olympics,Spain is now one of the most successful sports countries of the world. The children of 1992, are now the best sportsmen/sportswomen of their sports divisions, like Rafa Nadal (tennis), like Pau Gasol (basketball), or like Sannti Freixa (field hockey).

Being successful in a sports event its not that simple. You have to make your own history before you succeed. It’s about passion, it’s about being organized, but mostly, it’s about the love of sport.

(Source: Ozan Sülüm, AIPS Young Reporter/TUR)