READY SQUAD

A scene of gorgeous women in tight-fitting clothes boisterously performing stunts, jumps and dance moves at sporting events would first come to mind when thinking of cheerleading.

An all-male cheerleading squad from Pu'er University, Southwest China's Yunnan province, is set to change the stereotypical image of cheerleaders.

The bouncy, suntanned young men wow the audience with their mechanically precise choreography, energetic tumbling and sophisticated routines. The competitive cheerleaders have their own platform as athletes rather than simply cheering for others in sports.

Since its initiation in 2017, the squad has won a number of medals at competitions of varied scales, including the National Cheerleading Championships, Asia-Pacific Cup Cheerleading Open and the International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships.

Such feats have sparked an explosion of interest in cheerleading among younger students across Pu'er city. It has become a common practice in primary and middle schools there as an important exercise for students during recess.

The popularity of cheerleading in Pu'er can be attributed to a young man's passion in promoting it: Li Dong, 31, a teacher at Pu'er University, ran the squad from scratch and developed a reputation through organizing intensive trainings day after day. He used to learn gymnastics when he was young.

After entering Yunnan Arts University, he got to know about competitive cheerleading and founded a club. He became obsessed with cheerleading — it has many forms and allows participants to be innovative in designing routines.

"I also like to collaborate with others," Li says.

Over time, he wanted to become a teacher who could run a cheerleading squad at college level.

After completing his postgraduate program from Yunnan Normal University, as he had wished, Li became a teacher at Pu'er University in his hometown. He began to select students from the university's school of physical education to be cheerleaders in 2017.

"Basically, our squad members don't have the athleticism as outstanding as those from the country's top sport universities, so we have to train harder," Li says.

He also found that a squad should form its own unique style to catch the eyes of judges at different competitions. Then he decided to form an all-male squad that could show moves that required more physical strength and endurance. He also integrated kung fu and other elements of traditional Chinese culture into the squad's routines.

The stories of such historical figures as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) scholar and calligrapher Tang Bohu and the legendary martial artist Huang Feihong would also be told through their performances.

Yunnan is inhabited by more than 20 ethnic groups. To enlarge the population that practices cheerleading in the province, Li has sought to design routines that involve cultural elements of different ethnic groups.

"For instance, when we planned to promote cheerleading in schools in Mojiang Hani autonomous county, Pu'er, we first worked out a routine based on the traditional style of singing and dancing of the Hani people. That would be better accepted by people there," he explains.

What motivated Li to throw himself into cultivating talent for competitive cheerleading was mainly his eagerness to help more students open new vistas in life.

Many students in the university are from remote mountainous areas in the province. They have to help with farm work at home during holidays and lack the chance to see the outside world, Li says.

"There was one time when I led the squad to compete in Shanghai. On arriving at the Pudong International Airport, a student turned to me and blurted a remark that made a strong impression on me," Li recalls.

"He said that if he weren't in Shanghai with me, the most possible reason for him to visit the metropolis would be as a migrant worker seeking work opportunities," Li adds.

"I hope their participation in the sport (cheerleading) brings them more opportunities to see with their own eyes different life possibilities in the outside world and empowers them to tap into their potential," Li says.

The opportunity has inspired Zhang Haomeng, a 22-year-old member of the university's cheerleading squad, to pursue bigger goals. He used to be shy and didn't talk much.

In 2019, as the squad got entry to the year's China (Nanjing) Cheerleading Open, for the first time Zhang traveled to Nanjing, Jiangsu province where he met more than 2,000 domestic and international cheerleaders and watched their performances in various styles. He felt an upsurge of emotions when the squad was announced winner in the event's Open Lg Team Cheer Pom.

"The experience of competing with outstanding cheerleaders from home and abroad urged me to train harder in the future. And the title we claimed remarkably boosted my self-confidence," says Zhang.

He and some teammates have also been invited to perform in talent shows, including the online reality show Campus and the TV variety program Gold 100 Seconds.

They got to visit many cities across the country, including Beijing, Shenzhen of Guangdong province, and Haikou of Hainan province.

Zhang is preparing to apply for a postgraduate program at Beijing Sport University.

"Many of my schoolmates tend to stay in Yunnan after graduation. I don't want to do that," he says.

"I've been to many other cities and met excellent people. I want to study in the country's top-class sport university to embrace a better self."

Zhang is now the leader of the cheerleading squad at Pu'er University.

"As a leader, I have to learn how to efficiently communicate with the other 50 or so squad members and organize collective activities with passion and dedication. That has made me talkative and open-minded," he adds.

Li's efforts to promote cheerleading in primary and middle schools in Yunnan province helped to create better career prospects for physical education majors at Pu'er University. Schools in the city's downtown area have their own cheerleading squads and competitions are held every year, he says.

Consequently, schools are willing to recruit new PE teachers who are good at cheerleading.

Shen Yajun, 25, is benefiting from the local trend.

Shen, once a member of Li's cheerleading squad, graduated from Pu'er University last year and became a PE teacher at a local primary school.

"When I was a junior in the university, Li started to dispatch us to local schools to help train young students. From there I accumulated teaching experience," says Shen.

He grew up as a "left-behind "child in a mountainous village in Zhaotong, Yunnan. He used to be quiet and introverted. Upon entering Pu'er University, he became addicted to mobile games and didn't figure out a plan for his future. After he joined Li's squad in the second semester of his freshman year, he gradually figured out what he wanted to do in the future.

"Li infected me with his enthusiasm for the sport (cheerleading).The cohesion of our squad enabled me to be a more responsible person," he says.

He is now a conscientious teacher who gets up at 6:30 am on weekdays to lead his students to do morning exercises and practice cheerleading routines.

"I want to follow in the footsteps of Li, to bring my own students to the international stage where they can broaden their vision and gain recognition," Shen says.