The sports code of cross-border exchanges: the inside story of Japanese player Hina Hayata's "refuge" in Chinese national table tennis
The concept that sport knows no borders has become more and more popular in recent years. In this era of globalization, exchanges and cooperation between athletes from different countries and regions are deepening. Recently, Japanese table tennis player Hina Hayata's actions at the Saudi Grand Slam have aroused widespread attention and heated discussions.
Why did she "take refuge" in the Chinese national table tennis at the finals? What interesting story will happen between her and the Chinese national table tennis players? What kind of sports and cultural exchange value is behind this? Let's explore the inside story and the revelation behind this.
Behind the "switch" to the Chinese national table tennis seat
In the just-concluded 2024 Saudi Arabia Grand Slam table tennis women's singles final, Saudi indigenous players faced off against China's dominant Hua Dan, which was undoubtedly the focus of the audience. But just when this fierce battle was in full swing, the camera captured an unexpected scene: Japanese player Hina Hayada actually sat in the audience of the Chinese national table tennis and watched the game with Wang Yidi and others!
This is undoubtedly remarkable. As a member of the Japanese team, why did Hina Hayada give up her seat and go to the Chinese national table tennis to watch the game instead? Is this just a whim, or is there some other hidden mystery?
In fact, Hina Hayada made such a choice for several reasons:
First, it's a great learning opportunity. The final between Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng is undoubtedly the pinnacle of today's top level, and if you just watch the game from the perspective of the Japanese team, Hina Hayada may gain more conventional things. But sitting on the side of the Chinese national table tennis, she can hear the comments and analysis of Wang Yidi, He Zhuojia and others, which will undoubtedly bring more inspiration to her future progress.
Second, take this opportunity to enhance exchanges with Chinese national table tennis players. Although Hina Hayada has more opportunities to represent Japan in Miu Hirano and Misei Ito, she is no stranger to Chinese national table tennis players. Through this opportunity to watch the game, she can further contact and communicate with Wang Yidi, Chen Meng and others to enhance mutual understanding.
Third, there may be a motive for pointing. As a young and promising Japanese player, Hina Hayada must also yearn to catch up with a strong team like the Chinese national table tennis. Through the exchange with Wang Yidi and others, she may be able to gain some valuable experience and inspiration, and inject new impetus into her future progress.
It can be said that Hina Hayata's "refuge" behavior contains her awe of the strong strength of China's national table tennis, and also hints at her desire for her own progress. She hopes that through this special viewing experience, she can further understand and learn the training and competition methods of Chinese national table tennis players, so as to make breakthroughs in future competitions.
From "Chinese National Table Tennis Player" to "Sister Wang Yidi"
In addition to these superficial reasons, Hina Hayata's actions also reflect the increasingly close communication and interaction between her and Chinese national table tennis players. This can be seen from the change in how she addresses her Chinese teammates.
When watching the game for the first time, Hina Hayada still called the Chinese national table tennis players in a more alienated way, such as calling them "Chinese national table tennis players". But as the number of contacts increased, the way she was addressed also changed significantly. For example, after the game, she affectionately called Wang Yidi "Sister Wang Yidi", expressing her recognition and closeness to the Chinese national table tennis players.
Such a change also reflects the growing relationship between Hina Hayada and Chinese national table tennis players. In this process, she is no longer a simple "foreign player", but slowly integrated into the big family of Chinese national table tennis. Just like Ai Fukuhara's intimate interaction with the national table tennis players back then, Hina Hayada is also becoming a member of the little sisters of the Chinese national table tennis.
This integration does not happen overnight, but requires long-term interaction. Hina Hayada was able to take the initiative to choose a seat in the Chinese national table tennis to watch the tournament, which is obviously a manifestation of her initiative to seek further exchanges with her Chinese teammates. This is not only an admiration for the strength of China's national table tennis, but also a strong desire for its own progress.
For Hina Hayata, the exchange and interaction with the Chinese national table tennis players not only allows her to obtain valuable technical guidance, but also allows her to better understand the Chinese table tennis culture, so as to improve her overall strength. For the Chinese national table tennis, close contact with Japanese players can also promote cultural exchanges and enhance mutual understanding. This kind of cross-border exchange will become a new normal in the future sports arena.
Sports have no borders and win-win cooperation
As Hina Hayada has shown in this "refuge" behavior, the field of sports is gradually getting rid of national borders and developing in a more open and inclusive direction. Behind this is a new concept of sports and cultural exchange.
In this increasingly globalized era, sports competition is no longer limited to purely technical competitions. It is becoming an important link for exchanges and mutual learning between different countries and cultures. Whether it's the competition between players, the sharing of experiences between coaches, or the cultural exchange between fans, the entire world of sports is moving towards closer connections.
Hina Hayata's "refuge" behavior is undoubtedly a microcosm of this trend. Her initiative to seek exchanges with Chinese national table tennis players fully demonstrates the beautiful value of sports and cultural exchanges. This not only allowed her to gain valuable technical guidance, but also made her closer to the relationship with the Chinese national table tennis players. This kind of cultural integration, linked by technological exchanges, is bound to become a new normal in the world of sports in the future.
At the same time, it also reflects the fact that today's sports world is moving towards a more open and inclusive direction. In this context, it is difficult for a single national interest to be confined to the competition on the stadium. On the contrary, cross-border cooperation and resource sharing are becoming new driving forces for sports development.