The recent World Preliminary Round of 40 in Asia and the European Cup have ignited a wave of football fever and aroused my "green" pride. The national football team advanced to the top 12, and the winning was beautiful and exciting. This national football team is very united and hardworking, and both offensive and defensive ends have improved and improved. I am happy.
When it comes to football, I can say that I am an old fan. Football and Go have in common, the rules are simple, but the changes are endless. The classic football is black and white, and like the black and white chess pieces, it is in the green field, just like the black and white chess pieces in the square inches of the pattern, interpreting endless and wonderful changes. When I talk about football, I unconsciously think of Uncle Yaobang.
Chinese football, like Chinese Go, has its glories and lows. The most tragic was the "May 19" incident in 1985, and I experienced that day firsthand. On May 19, when the Chinese team played hong Kong at home in Beijing, the Chinese team, which had just finished runners-up in the 1984 Asian Cup, launched a third attack on the World Cup. In this game, the Chinese team can qualify from the group as long as it draws. That's where I start.
It was Sunday, and in the afternoon I went to play bridge with Deng Xiaoping, Hu Yaobang, Wanli, Ding Guangen and other leaders. I partnered with Hu Yaobang. In the process of dealing cards, he suddenly asked me a sentence: Xiao Nie, what do you think of tonight's football?
At that time, the national team won two big victories against Macau and Brunei, and the strength was significantly higher than that of the opponents, much higher than that of Hong Kong, and it could qualify if it was tied. I said casually: Definitely win, I guess we won at least two goals.
Just after I finished speaking, Hu Yaobang asked again: How many people with such ideas as you are in the Sports Committee? I said without hesitation: I guess all the responsible comrades of the Sports Committee think like this. This is good, I just finished speaking, Hu Yaobang directly put down the cards in his hand, he said in a loud voice, no, this is not OK! He called the secretary and asked me to call the head of the sports committee at the time, and I was stunned.
Hu Yaobang told everyone at that time: I can definitely win this game without seeing it, and I must be prepared to lose. At the same time, he also instructed his secretary to contact the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, especially to prevent the masses from making trouble.
I was very surprised to hear and witness it, and I was even a little dissatisfied in my heart: Don't you always talk about seeking truth from facts, and the layman can't lead the insider? Can you still lose this ball today? Is this preparation redundant? Of course, these ideas did not dare to say.
After dinner, Hu Yaobang proposed not to play cards and go back to watch the ball. Everyone was also very concerned about the ball, so they dispersed. Back to the Go team I turned on the TV to watch the ball, in the first half the two teams scored a goal each to play a draw, in the second half the Chinese team had the advantage but it was difficult to have a threatening shot, and finally it was attacked by the opponent, and the Chinese team lost 1-2.
As soon as the final whistle sounded, I immediately thought of Hu Yaobang's words, and it was really a feeling of shock to the whole body. Hu Yaobang is really tall! At a time when most people in the country were feverish (including me, of course), he remained unusually calm. He can discern people's ideology from my words, and be alert on the spot, and quickly arrange, I am really thrown into him.
At the time, I didn't expect to really make trouble. In fact, that night, some people went to the streets to make trouble, and they also set fire to cars. Afterwards, Hu Yaobang told me that after his secretary called the person in charge of the sports committee, he immediately asked the secretary to call several deputy directors, but for some reason, he did not contact the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. After the incident, due to the insufficient police force arranged in advance, it was very passive, which was a pity.
On this matter, I have great admiration for Hu Yaobang. He is a great statesman, with thinking and courage that transcends ordinary people. After "May 19", Zeng Xuelin, head coach of the national team, said that he was under great psychological pressure at that time, and he not only had to qualify, but also win a big victory, but also played well. If the National Sports Commission at that time could convey Hu Yaobang's instructions to the coaching staff in a timely manner, convey them to Zeng Xuelin, and unload this heavy burden on them, then the result of the game would probably be different!
In the blink of an eye, more than thirty or forty years have passed, and to this day, seeing the football competition and seeing the national football team once again impact the World Cup still reminds people of Uncle Yaobang's Dun Dun teachings and far-sightedness. Football is round, Go is round, until the last moment, never let down your guard and give up the fight. (To be continued)
(Dictation: Nie Weiping, Author: Hu Bo)