Xinhua News Agency, San Diego, usa, reporters Tan Jingjing and Huang Heng revealed that on December 5, the sunshine city of San Diego in California, the United States, was cold and windy, rainy and rainy. Hundreds of Chinese and American people came to a local memorial hall to bid farewell to Former Chinese women's soccer international Zhang Ouying, who died of lung cancer.
Wearing a duck-tongue hat and a Chinese team uniform, Zhang Ouying lay in a cluster of red roses. The screen loops the cool and heroic posture of this "sonorous rose" in the past, as well as the optimistic and cheerful pictures of daily life. Loved ones and mourners wept quietly, lamenting her untimely death.
In March this year, Zhang Ouying felt chest discomfort during a business trip in China, and was later found to be advanced lung cancer, and there were multiple metastases throughout the body. After Returning to the United States, Zhang received treatment at the Medical Center at the University of California, San Diego and underwent back surgery.
Former teammates Sun Wen, Liu Ailing, etc. launched fundraising for her, American netizens have also raised funds for her, and many friends have helped in various ways, but all efforts have not been able to keep her footsteps in a hurry. On December 1, local time, Zhang Ouying, who was only 43 years old, passed away in San Diego.
Zhang Ouying's mother, Li Liju, told Xinhua news agency that her daughter suffered unbearable physical and mental pain during her treatment. As the tumor in her lower back expanded and compressed her nerves, her lower limbs gradually lost consciousness, but she still had to try to stand up and quietly practice walking in the room, tears of pain at each step.
When she was first diagnosed, the doctor expressed pessimism about Ou Ying's condition, but she kept gritting her teeth and insisting, unwilling to give up. Even in the last moments of her life, she was doing her best. The 'sonorous rose' spirit of women's football can endure hardships and not accept defeat has been supporting her. Li Liju said.
A few days ago, Zhang Ouying's former Chinese women's football teammate Fan Yunjie came from China to visit Zhang Ouying on behalf of other teammates, but he did not expect to learn the bad news of Zhang Ouying's death on the way to the airport.
"Ouying is the youngest in our women's football team, but she trains hardest and strongest, and does not accept defeat. She was a great humorist, loved to tell jokes, and her joy infected us all. Fan Yunjie told reporters.
Zhang Ouying is one of the representatives of the most brilliant period of Chinese women's football. As early as the early 1990s, she entered the women's national team and began her international career. She has participated in the World Cup three times, participated in the Olympic Games twice, represented the Chinese women's football team to win the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, the 1999 World Cup runner-up, the 1999 Asian Cup champion and many other honors, and is the "side road fast horse" of the golden generation of "sonorous roses".
The Chinese Football Association published a memorial article saying, "The death of Ms. Zhang Ouying is a loss to the Chinese football community, and we feel extremely sad about the loss of such a respectable football celebrity." ”
After retiring, Zhang Ouying moved to the United States, but she still did not give up her beloved football career, joined the San Diego Elves of the Major Leagues, and later taught at a youth football club. She is married to the American Ed-Yort and has a lovely pair of children.
At the memorial service, <b>the young players of the San Diego Junior Football Club came to send their favorite "Coach O" (the nickname given to Zhang Ouying by the players) on the last trip, and everyone was full of sadness and could not cry. </b>
"She cared for us like a mom, sometimes harshly, and forced us to challenge ourselves. She often shared with us the stories of playing in the Chinese women's football team before, and we loved to listen to it, and we felt particularly encouraged. Rebecca Teixeira, a 14-year-old squad member, told reporters.
After learning that Zhang Ouying was ill, the children made cards for her and often visited her in the hospital to cheer up "Coach O".
After discovering that he was suffering from cancer, Zhang Ouying was most relieved about these children. She immediately contacted the club director to ask other coaches to replace the class, and also sent group emails to the children to encourage them to play well.
<b>Club director Aaron Jeff told reporters that Zhang Ouying is the only Chinese woman among the club's 53 coaches and the most accomplished. She taught at the club for ten years, coaching three teams of 18 players each and training three to four times a week. </b>
"She is very humble, genuine and very caring about others. Her love of football has run through her short but wonderful life. Jeff said.
At the scene of the memorial service, Zhang Ouying's optimism, self-confidence and cheerfulness infected everyone who loved her and cared about her. The "sonorous rose" will always bloom in the hearts of all people.