Zheng Enlai: Willing to play for Chinese ice hockey, looking forward to reaching the height of Grandma Zheng Fengrong

Zheng Fengrong, 82, watches his grandson

Jeong Eun comes to play. Beijing News reporter Sun Haiguang photographed

In 1957, at the age of 20, Zheng Fengrong became the first Chinese athlete to break the world record in athletics, which was written into the history of Chinese sports. Now, 22-year-old Ty Schultz is looking forward to contributing to Chinese sports like his grandmother Zheng Fengrong. As a potential ice hockey player, Zheng Enlai expressed his willingness to give up his Canadian citizenship and hope to represent the Chinese ice hockey team in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Return home to fight

Grandma watched the game with concern

On the evening of August 7, the final of the 2019 China Ice Hockey League was held at the Aozhong Ice Sports Center, and 82-year-old Zheng Fengrong and his wife had been standing on the sidelines watching the game, making some gestures to the field from time to time. On the ice rink, Zheng Fengrong's grandson Zheng Enlai is playing for kunlun hongxing second team. The game lost suspense in the second quarter, and the Kunlun Hongxing second team eventually lost 1-6 to Arizona State University.

After the game, Zheng Fengrong quickly pulled Zheng Enlai to his side and asked him about his physical condition, "To tell the truth, I am worried that he is injured, he has not played for two years." You know hockey players don't play for two years, it's hard to survive. ”

Two years ago, while attending WHL training camp, Cheng en-lai injured his abdomen and thigh in a confrontation that halted his career as a professional player in Canada. After that, Zheng Enlai completed surgery in the United States and was able to stand on the ice rink again, "Only by standing on the ice, I feel like a real ice hockey player." ”

Two months ago, Zheng Enlai played for the Beijing first team in the national championships, and he did not play much time due to injuries. This time when he came to Beijing to participate in the China Ice Hockey League, Zheng Enlai revealed that he still has not fully recovered, "almost recovered to 70%." "Before each game, Zheng Enlai would arrive at the court earlier than his teammates, and he needed to spend an hour more than others to warm up.

However, in the eyes of grandma, Zheng Enlai's physical condition should recover better than 70%, "I think it should be another step now." The first section was a bit of a reaction, and after the activity opened, it kept playing down, which was very good. After the final, Zheng Fengrong chatted with the rehabilitation doctor, and both of them believed that Zheng Enlai's physical recovery had improved significantly, "He is now playing better than the next, that is, he is always afraid of being injured again." ”

Every time Zheng Enlai trains and competes in Beijing, Zheng Fengrong and his wife will watch from the sidelines, "He is not in the best state now, his best state we have seen, great, much faster than this speed." Despite the team's loss to Arizona State, Zheng Fengrong was very satisfied with his grandson's performance. After the game, Zheng Fengrong took the medal on his grandson's chest and looked at it again and again.

Zheng Fengrong, a former high jumper, is well aware of the impact of injuries, "I have been injured in the past, but the high jump is not a confrontational sport, I can master it myself." At that time, I was crazy about practicing physical fitness, you see I am in a very good body now, that is, the foundation was played well. ”

Less small fame

The goal is to reach grandma height

Born in 1997, Zheng Enlai went to ice at the age of 3 and began playing ice hockey at the age of 5, and was selected by the Western Canadian Youth Hockey League (WHL) Mercedes Hart Tigers in 2012 as a potential defensive defender in the Pantam age group (13-14 years old) in the Bunam age group (13-14 years old). In the words of Zheng Fengrong, "This is not the level that ordinary people can reach." ”

In the early days, the family just hoped that Zheng Enlai could exercise through ice hockey, and did not want him to take the professional road, "They did not want me to engage in sports, it was too difficult to be an athlete, but in the end my sister and I chose this path." ”

Zheng Enlai's mother, grandmother and grandfather were all high jumpers, grandfather Duan Qiyan was the champion of the first National Games in 1959, and Zheng Fengrong was the first chinese athlete to break the world record in athletics, and was received by Premier Zhou Enlai.

Since he was a child, Zheng Enlai has always wanted to become an athlete like grandma, "I regard her as a goal, and I hope to reach that level like her in the future." Zheng En said that his purpose of playing hockey is very pure, that is, he likes, "I play hockey not for money, if you do something for money, you certainly can't do your best." ”

Despite initial opposition from his family, Jung Eun Lai and his sister embarked on the path of professional athletes. When asked why, the young man said three words: "Genes." Jeong Eun-lai's younger sister Nina is a heptathlete who was ranked no. 1 in the world in the IAAF U20 World Youth Rankings. At the 2017 Tianjin National Games, Nina competed as a Chinese overseas Chinese.

"Little Tiger never let us down and has been exceptional since childhood." Zheng Fengrong remembers every game of his grandson. In 2007, Beijing Haotai Children's Hockey Club went to Canada to play a game, because 3 members of the team could not accompany them temporarily, the club found 3 Chinese teenagers in the local area to temporarily join the team. In addition to Zheng Enlai, the other two are Situ Yongen and He Yufei, who helped Haotai team win 7 games, which attracted the attention of the domestic ice hockey community. At present, these three people are the backbone of China's ice hockey industry.

This time to play the league in Beijing, Zheng Enlai, whose body has not yet healed, did not play at the best level, but in Zheng Fengrong's view, it is already great to be able to play every game smoothly, "Yesterday there was a ball, he was blocked by lying on the ice with his body, ordinary people will not do this, he has this consciousness." ”

In Zheng Fengrong's eyes, Zheng Enlai not only has good skills and good consciousness, but also has special rules, "This child is like his grandfather (grandfather), and there is no dispute with the world." When he was a child, the team would sometimes eat pizza, hamburgers or whatever, he never grabbed it, and he didn't eat it without it. I'm in a hurry, why don't you grab it? No way, this kid is just very well-behaved. ”

Willing to change nationality

I hope to represent China in the Winter Olympics

Zheng Enlai's mother is a Chinese, his father is German, and the family lives in Canada. Every summer, Zheng Enlai would come to Beijing to spend some time with his grandmother and grandfather, and he could speak fluent Chinese.

Zheng Enlai's earliest Chinese name was "Zheng Tai", because zhou Enlai's birthday was March 5, and his grandmother Zheng Fengrong admired Zhou Enlai very much, so he changed his name to "Zheng Enlai".

Two years ago, on the day of his grandmother Zheng Fengrong's 80th birthday, Zheng Enlai expressed his willingness to give up his Canadian citizenship and represent China. In the same year, the Chinese Ice Hockey Association announced the list of overseas selection and training, including the name of Zheng Enlai.

However, in the order of the Chinese Ice Hockey League, Zheng Enlai's nationality is still Canadian. "Now I have an injury, and this time I have to do my recovery in Canada. After the injury is healed, you can change your nationality. In the interview, Zheng Enlai did not shy away from this issue, he said that he hopes to represent China in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, "sports should be like this, if I am qualified, the level is enough, only good for the Chinese team." The more high-level athletes who are naturalized, the more competition there will be. With competition, there is pressure, and Chinese ice hockey can progress faster. ”

Zheng Fengrong's decision made Zheng Fengrong very pleased, "My child came to China, and this road is the right one. "All these years have been paying attention to ice hockey, Zheng Fengrong also has his own understanding of the current situation of Chinese ice hockey, "To be honest, on the comprehensive strength, physical fitness and speed, we do have a gap with the Americans." The Chinese team members need to improve both technically and physically, but it is useless for us to be anxious, after all, our country is a little late to carry out this project. Zheng Fengrong said that Chinese ice hockey can still compete with Europe and the United States in adolescence, but the disadvantages in adulthood are obvious, and physical fitness is a major reason, "Little Tiger is a mixed Chinese and German, he has this advantage." ”

In recent years, as long as Zheng En comes back to China to train or compete, Zheng Fengrong's two sons will definitely accompany him all day and night, "We are also old, it is indeed very hard, but we feel that it is particularly worthwhile." Zheng Fengrong said that Chinese sports in recent years are in a critical period of reform, they should fully cooperate with themselves, "We are very concerned about little Tiger, because he is a talent, will help the development and improvement of Chinese ice hockey." ”

In the new season, Zheng Enlai is likely to represent Kunlun Hongxing in the Silk Road Cup League, and he hopes to have a good performance to be successfully selected to the Chinese national team, "I am very confident, but in the end it still depends on whether the coach likes me or not, and hopes that I can." In recent years, he has often come back to train and play, and Zheng Enlai can feel the progress of Chinese ice hockey, "We have been going in the right direction, hoping to achieve a good result by 2022." ”

Beijing News reporter Sun Haiguang

Edited by Wang Xichong proofread by Lucy