A Greek athlete learns to write her Chinese name with the help of a Chinese staff member. Xinhua
Athletes are presented with image ambassador certificates Friday. Qian Qing
FOURTEEN Chinese athletes attending the 25th Belgrade Universiade were chosen as image ambassadors for the 26th Summer Universiade to be held in Shenzhen in 2011.
The athletes received their certificates at a ceremony at the Shenzhen exhibition hall in the Belgrade Universiade Village on Friday.
The 14, university students from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Xi’an, all achieved good results at the Belgrade Universiade, yesterday’s Daily Sunshine reported.
Qin Qian from the Civil Aviation University of China won a gold medal for the Chinese team in women’s over-78kg category judo competition. Zhang Jun from Shanghai University won a shot put silver medal and has pinned his hope on the 2011 Shenzhen Universiade. “I am now only a sophomore,” Zhang said. “I hope this regret (of not winning the gold medal) can be remedied at the Shenzhen Universiade in two years.”
More excellent athletes would be appointed image ambassadors for the Shenzhen Universiade, officials with the Shenzhen 2011 Summer Universiade Executive Office said. Chinese athletes who won gold medals at the Belgrade Universiade would all be chosen as image ambassadors for the Shenzhen Universiade, the officials said.
Some 10,000 people, including athletes and coaches from other countries, volunteers and officials, had visited the Shenzhen exhibition hall, nicknamed “Shenzhen cabin,” after it opened July 1, yesterday’s Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.
“Cabin” visitors learned to write their names in Chinese, use chopsticks to pick up peanuts and hung their good wishes for the Shenzhen Universiade on an artificial tree. They also asked many questions about Chinese culture.
“Judging from the athletes’ profound interest in Chinese culture, I believe the Shenzhen Universiade will be a great success,” said Zhang Yan, a staff member at the exhibition hall.
(Eunice Kang)