Interview with the MVP of "Village BA" - the king of cattle herding who walked out of the humble course

Elephant News Reporter Li Chang/Wen Li Liyun/Video Photo courtesy of interviewee

Under the cheers of more than 20,000 spectators at the "Village BA" scene, the overexcited Ou Minghui consumed a lot of physical energy in the first half of the game. So much so that from the third quarter onwards, he was a little unable to run.

In his slow and heavy steps, he seemed to hear his own fluttering heartbeat. And this rhythm brought him back to his usual scene of herding cattle: under the sunset, three cows paced leisurely by the river, while the owner ran to the basketball hoop not far away and sweated like rain, looking at his cow from time to time.

This familiar scene made Ou Minghui "pulsate" back at once, he was energetic, led the team to win the championship in one fell swoop, and won the MVP (Most Valuable Player) by the way!

The "Bull King" on the pitch

At the first "Beautiful Country" basketball league finals in Guizhou Province on the afternoon of March 27, Ou Minghui, the No. 22 player of the Qiandongnan Prefecture team, was particularly eye-catching.

This 27-year-old Miao guy who is only one meter and seven five meters tall, with free ball control, accurate shooting, and decisive ball breaking on the field, soon became the focus of the opponent's Zunyi team.

Being closely watched and defended is a headache for any player. In this regard, Ou Minghui's solution is to look at the number printed on the chest of his team uniform - number 22.

"I just used this number for a year and a half, and I was always number 8 before because this is the number of my idol Kobe!" "Until a year and a half ago, my daughter was born – she was born on the 22nd, so since then, I have changed my number to the 22nd!" ”

This number can always inject new impetus into Ou Minghui, and when he is tired on the field and when he encounters difficulties, it looks like chicken blood.

Just as the new number is the source of motivation for Ou Minghui, Lao Ou is also the source of motivation for the entire team. When they can't attack for a long time, or need support, everyone will habitually look at the "Ou Niu King". This domineering nickname was given to him by his teammates, and Ou Minghui said with a smile: "I have this nickname first because I herd cattle at home, and when I am on the field, my playing style is like fighting bulls!" ”

Ou Minghui had three male buffaloes in his family, and he named the three cows Southwest King, Xiaoyanzhai and Dishuo. Every day from four to seven o'clock in the afternoon, he would always drive them to a fixed spot by the creek. The reason why cattle are grazing here is because there is a dilapidated basketball hoop in the nearby farmhouse. As the sun sets, the cows drink water and pacing, while the "Ox King" runs inside, practicing while watching the cows.

Although the buffalo of the "Ox King" is docile on weekdays, when it comes to the competition of the Miao national custom "bullfighting", as soon as the strength comes up, it becomes extremely strong: even if the top head breaks the blood flow, it must be separated from the cow in the next village. In the round of bullfighting, Ou Niu Wang also learned something from his own cow - that is, the character of not admitting defeat in the arena and the spirit of never giving up, "Bull King, have bull strength!" ”

Cast a whistle like an idol

Ou Minghui's connection with basketball stems from the fact that when he was eight years old, there were many children in the track and field team led by his uncle, who taught physical education in Taijiang County, who loved to play basketball. Ou Minghui began to help pick up the ball on the side of the court, and over time, the older children were willing to let him play together. After getting started, he found that his ball sense is particularly good, and he can play against children who are a few years older without falling behind. Before he knew it, he had fallen in love with the sport.

Today, the basketball court of my childhood is so dilapidated: mottled racks, broken rebounds, baskets that have never seen the net, and uneven concrete floors that often fly balls... But at that time, this humble stadium was Ou Minghui's fastest paradise. Here, all the troubles of teenagers disappear, and all the thoughts are dribbling, passing, shooting...

Like everyone who loves basketball, Ou Minghui also began to pay attention to the NBA. "It wasn't until I was in junior high school that I had a color TV. I've been watching the 'NBA' for several years since elementary school. Through the "black and white NBA", Ou Minghui has his own basketball idol - Kobe Bryant, and he often imagines that he can also be like an idol, with a fantastic whistle!

Basketball in Taijiang County is very prosperous, and basketball competitions are often organized between villages. But in Jiuli Village, where Ou Minghui's family is located, he is the only one who can play basketball. Therefore, his biggest regret when he was a child was that he could only watch the children in other villages go to basketball games, and "there was only one thought in his mind - to play".

The strong desire to play has taken root in Ou Minghui's heart, and he will give his all in every game he can play for Taijiang County in the future. On November 18 last year, near the end of the group match between Taijiang County and Kaili City, Taijiang was still two points behind his opponent. Unexpectedly, in the last reading time, Ou Minghui shot a three-pointer, directly overtaking the opponent by one point. At that moment, Ou Minghui, who had played basketball for nearly 20 years, finally fulfilled his childhood dream, "At that time, I almost couldn't believe that this really happened, it was like a dream!" Feel like an NBA star! ”

The whole family was there to cheer

In this way, with nearly 20 years of love and dedication to basketball, Ou Minghui led the Qiandongnan State team to defeat the Zunyi team with a score of 68-65 in the finals of "Village BA" to win the annual championship. And he himself became the tournament MVP, scoring king and steal king.

In addition to winning and obtaining honors, what made Ou Minghui happiest was that many villagers from Jiuli Village traveled more than 20 kilometers to cheer him on at the competition site, and almost all the people in his family were present. "Before high school, my parents were always opposed to me going out to play for fear of delaying my studies, and even because I played late after school." Ou Minghui recalled: "After winning this championship, my parents gave me a big hug. ”

Ou Minghui introduced that the first "Beautiful Village" basketball league in Guizhou Province, which attracted many rural neighbors, was developed from the "June 6" New Festival basketball game held by Taipan Village, because of the fiery atmosphere and "down-to-earth" style of the game, it was called "village BA" by netizens after the whole network.

"The name has always changed, the essence has not changed." Ou Minghui said that having participated in five tournaments, he has always felt the excitement of tens of thousands of spectators watching the game, "The deafening atmosphere will make the players feel so excited that I (the final) was exhausted in the first half." ”

Ou Minghui believes that the organizers of "Village BA" have well guarded the original intention of the basketball game, "No advertising can be placed at the game site, tickets are not allowed, the participating players must be rural hukou, and they are over 22 years old..." He said that it is these regulations that maintain the atmosphere of the "dirty" taste game, making the whole game more interesting and attractive, "As an amateur player, playing in such an atmosphere is very open, it is a pleasure!" ”

After the final, "Village BA" presented down-to-earth prizes according to the custom: the champion Qiandongnan Prefecture team each received a set of exquisite Miao silver jewelry, the runner-up Zunyi team each received a sturgeon, and the third runner-up each received a hemp duck. Netizens felt sorry for the champion team players, saying: "The prize of the champion can't be eaten!" ”

In this regard, Ou Minghui defended: "Who said that the prize of the champion cannot be eaten? The prize box contains silver chopsticks, a silver bowl, and two packets of fragrant rice! ”

After the final match, all the members of the Qiandongnan state team went to dinner together and celebrated until midnight, and Ou Minghui, who was not very good at drinking, also drank more than 20 cans of beer. He remembers saying a toast at the banquet that resonated with his teammates. That sentence is often on his lips every day: "If you don't play, how can you live your life?" ”

Responsible editor: Wang Jianglong