Ye Jinguang: Hard work is the best way for me to express my love to the motherland

The Chinese men's ice hockey team made its debut on the Olympic stage

Ye Jinguang: Hard work is the best way for me to express my love to the motherland

On 10 February, the National Stadium witnessed another historic moment. In the men's hockey group stage of the Beijing Winter Olympics held that night, the Chinese men's ice hockey team with an average age of early 20 years old faced the powerful United States team, which was the first time that the Chinese men's ice hockey team had stepped onto the Olympic field.

Among the young teams is one of the oldest athletes in the Chinese sports delegation at the Winter Olympics, Ye Jinguang, 37. Walking through the players' tunnel and standing on the ice, his eyes were a little moist, and for the Chinese veteran who naturalized and returned to China, this moment has waited too long and too long: "Facing the world's strongest opponent, we will make an effort to let the world remember that we have come." ”

In the game, Ye Jinguang, who is the captain, must not forget his duty. As the main striker, he constantly slid, passed, shot, fell down again and again, and immediately stood up and continued to fight on the field. Although the Chinese team eventually lost to the opponent 0:8 due to the disparity in strength, the team's hard work still left a deep impression on the audience: "Do not flinch against strong enemies, have high morale, and want such a spirit!" ”

Representing the Chinese team in the Winter Olympics, Ye Jinguang called it a "lifelong dream". "150 years ago, my ancestors were in North America, but China has always been in the Ye family tradition." Ye Jinguang said.

Ye Was born in 1985 in Maple Ridge, a small town in Vancouver, Canada. In 2004, he was drafted by the Colorado Avalanches of the North American Hockey League (NHL) and subsequently enrolled in Boston University to study crime scene investigation. Since becoming a professional player, Ye Jinguang has achieved a remarkable enough record: he has played in five seasons in the NHL, played 174 games and scored 56 points, and is the best Chinese male player in the history of professional hockey.

During his studies at Boston University, a friend once quipped to Ye Jinguang, "You will play hockey in China in the future." Ye Jinguang, who was only 18 years old at the time, did not expect this joke to become a reality. In the 2017-2018 season, Kunlun Hongxing Club, which is preparing talents for the Beijing Winter Olympics, called this outstanding player into the squad, and in the past five years, he scored more than 100 points in the Mainland Ice Hockey League (KHL), becoming the first professional league "100 point king" in the history of Chinese ice hockey.

What makes Ye Jinguang more happy than the title of "Hundred Percent King" is the growth of a group of young people in the team. Since the beginning of August last year, the Chinese team has strengthened physical training, innovative training and data training by going to Russia for external training, and the boys have improved a lot in physical fitness, technical and tactical level and teamwork. "We know each other very well and have a tacit understanding, which is crucial for the ice hockey team and that's our strength. We will not give up any hope of victory. Ye Jinguang said, "We trained very hard, just to stand on the Olympic field at this moment." ”

Deep affection for the motherland, consistent love for ice hockey, so that the career is nearing the end of Ye Jinguang is willing to dedicate the last energy, in the group stage surrounded by strong enemies to open the way, "fighting at the Winter Olympics is the best way for me to express my love to the motherland, and we will also use the hard work on the field to make every family member of the motherland proud of us." ”

At the same time, Ye Jinguang has another wish in his heart - to use his performance on the field at this moment to plant a seed for the future of Chinese ice hockey: "If there is a Chinese athlete who stands on the highest stage of ice hockey 20 years later, and people ask him why he practices ice hockey, he will answer 'In 2022, I watched the chinese team', that is the success of our generation." ”

Reporter Hou Zhen Zuo Hanyuan

Source: China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Daily