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At the 2022 Asian Games swimming venue, there was an exciting atmosphere in the air. When Hong Kong's Ho Sze Pui stepped onto the pool, everyone held their breath and followed her every move.
After nearly a year of hard training, He Shibei went against the norm and showed unprecedented results at this important moment.
There were bursts of cheers at the scene, and everyone was deeply moved by this honor. This young girl from Hong Kong has made the entire Chinese nation proud of her strength.
Everyone is looking forward to the award ceremony that follows, hoping to witness this eternal moment together.
An unexpected scene is coming. When the melody of the Chinese national anthem resounded throughout the audience and everyone's eyes were focused on He Shibei, she did not sing and salute reverently like other award-winning athletes, but just stood there quietly, even with a faint smile on her face.
This unprecedented "abnormal" behavior caused an uproar at the scene, and everyone was shocked by her actions. According to the convention, athletes should do their best to show their incomparable love for their motherland at this moment, but He Shibei was surprisingly unmoved.
A moment later, there was a wave of heated discussions on the Internet. Doubts, speculations, criticisms, all kinds of voices are coming. Some people think that this is a lack of her sense of responsibility; Others say that she is overexcited and emotionally out of control; Some people directly questioned her cultural identity with China,。。。 In any case, this scene has completely broken the original peaceful atmosphere, and He Shibei will definitely make a reasonable explanation for her behavior in the future.
Cultural Background
To fully understand Ho's unusual performance at the award ceremony, we have to trace the family and cultural background in which she grew up.
Ho was born in the unique land of Hong Kong, but her ancestral home is as far away as Ireland. The fusion of Eastern and Western cultures has created her unique multicultural heritage.
Growing up in such an environment, her perception of Chinese mainland will naturally be different from that of mainlanders, but this does not mean that she lacks attachment and love for her motherland.
In fact, over the years, He Shibei has been proving her patriotism with practical actions. She has not only won the championship for Hong Kong, the land representing China, in major competitions at home and abroad, but also won honor for the entire Chinese nation many times.
Outside of the arena, her expression, words and deeds also reveal a unique cultural confidence.
When asked why she did not sing to the national anthem at that remarkable moment, He Shibei solemnly explained that it was completely negligent and unintentional, and did not mean anything disrespectful to the country.
It is not difficult to find that her love for her country is poured into every hard training and competition, rather than some simple act of etiquette.
This unique multicultural background makes He Shibei's understanding and expression of patriotism different from ordinary people, but the core is equally sincere and precious.
Netizens are hotly discussed
He Shibei's "abnormal" performance at the award ceremony soon sparked heated discussions and comments on the Internet. All kinds of speculation, doubts and criticisms poured in, infinitely magnifying this small episode that was not a big deal.
Some people directly assert that Ho Shibei is simply a "Hong Kong independence" element, and what she has done is open disrespect and resistance to the Chinese regime. Others believe that this is just a small episode of a young man who loses control of his emotions due to being too excited, and that it is really not a big deal.
There are also rational voices trying to interpret Ho's approach from a multicultural perspective. They believe that Ho Shibei comes from such a unique cultural environment as Hong Kong, and her understanding and expression of patriotism will naturally be different from that of mainlanders, and we have no right to judge and criticize this.
All kinds of speculation and comments are flying on the Internet, infinitely magnifying this small incident, and even has a tendency to intensify. People of insight have called on everyone to remain calm and rational, and not to exaggerate and exaggerate too much about certain details.
Refuse to sing the national anthem
In the world of sports, "misconduct" like Ho's "misconduct" is not unique. As early as the 2022 East Asian Cup, most of the members of the Hong Kong, China men's football team collectively refused to sing the national anthem during the flag-raising ceremony, which made the atmosphere very embarrassing and aroused widespread concern and condemnation.
Back in the 1996 Rio Olympics, the Japanese women's volleyball team and the entire coaching team also appeared on the field, not only did they treat the national anthem coldly, but even some team members blatantly showed shameless expressions, and the then president of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, Yoshiro Mori, was so angry that he "criticized the delegation for not even singing the national anthem".
What is even more bizarre is that four years later, in the women's football match at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, the Japanese women's football team and coaching staff, as the host, once again blatantly mistreated the melody of the national anthem, which is not an accident, but a serious problem that has occurred repeatedly.
Similarly, in other sports, it is not uncommon to see players making staggering decisions in pursuit of so-called "ideals" – that is, to transfer or change nationalities.
Among them, table tennis player Wei Qingguang can be said to be the most representative example.
Wei Qingguang was born in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and has practiced diligently under his father's strict training since he was a child. Despite his lack of size, his unique backhand straight curling approach is impressive.
With tenacious perseverance, he honed his way through the process, and finally joined the national team at the age of 23, affectionately known as "Uncle Way".
In the subsequent 1987 World Table Tennis Championships and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Wei Qingguang made outstanding contributions to the Chinese Army, but just when everyone was expecting him to climb to the top again, he suddenly announced his retirement and went to Japan as a table tennis diplomat.
A few years later, at the age of 35, he made the bold decision to change his name and become a Japanese citizen in order to continue competing.
Since then, Wei Qingguang has represented Japan in many tournaments under the new name of "Guan Qingguang", although he has repeatedly failed, his behavior has always caused controversy.
Eventually, he gave up his role as an athlete and became a coach to concentrate on nurturing the younger generation of Japan.
Look at the differences
Through the above cases, it is not difficult to find that there are indeed some phenomena of insufficient respect for the national anthem and flag in sports. However, we should not judge this too arbitrarily, but should be more open and inclusive, and accept and cherish the diverse expressions of culture.
Take He Shibei as an example, she was born in a unique cultural environment like Hong Kong, and her perception of Chinese mainland will naturally be different from that of mainlanders. Even if there was negligence in her behavior at that pivotal moment, as long as her love for the motherland is still deep in her heart, we are not qualified to criticize and blame her.
Compared with those simple formalistic behaviors, an excellent athlete should be expected to show sincere love for the country with persistent fighting spirit and outstanding results.
He Shibei's various achievements on the field are her best tribute to the Chinese nation.
In the same way, we should not reject the decision of some players to change their nationality altogether. They did not necessarily do so out of betrayal of their motherland, but probably simply made a difficult choice out of the need for their own career development.
For example, Wei Qingguang, although he later became a Japanese citizen, he has always been concerned about the development of table tennis and has been making his own contribution to the promotion of this sport.
We do not have the right to judge the way a person expresses his patriotism, but it is important to embrace the diverse expressions of different cultures with a broad mind.
In general, in today's globalized world, cultural exchange and integration have become the general trend. Rather, we should embrace this diversity and look at differences with an appreciative and cherished eye, rather than arbitrarily judging and criticizing certain behaviors.
Patriotic education
Through the above cases, it is not difficult to find that in major sporting events, the words and deeds of athletes will determine the degree of respect for the country. Therefore, they have an obligation to abide by the basic professional ethics and maintain the solemnity of the ritual in the stadium, regardless of the situation.
Relevant sports authorities should also pay more attention to this issue, and actively carry out targeted guidance and restraint for athletes, so as to fundamentally avoid the recurrence of such faux pas.
Once left unchecked, it will not only seriously damage the country's image, but also hinder the healthy development of sports itself.
At the same time, we should pay more attention to the patriotic educational significance carried by sports events. As Mr. Wei Qingguang's table tennis career has demonstrated, the athletes' love for their motherland is often fused with the persistent pursuit of the sport and the unremitting struggle for excellence.
We should not be limited to simple ritual acts, but should dig deep and cherish the cultural spirit contained in them. This is not only an interpretation of the precious qualities of an excellent athlete, but also the direction of our national rejuvenation.
Let us work together to inherit and carry forward the spirit of sportsmanship, and unswervingly embark on the humanistic road of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.