The Rio Olympic Games: A tale of two sporting cities

    Updated: 2016-08-26 08:29

    By Dominic Lam Man-Kit(HK Edition)

      Print Mail Large Medium  Small 分享按鈕 0

    This year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has, by most accounts, been a roaring success, despite serious pre-game concerns regarding finance, security, transportation and health issues (such as Zika).

    In fact, this is an iconic and historic event for many reasons, first and foremost because Brazil is the first South American country to host the Olympic Games, as well as for finally winning an Olympic gold medal for its national sport: soccer!

    Individually, on Aug 23 China Daily selected five stars for these games: Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Mo Farah, Simone Biles and Neymar. Although Joseph Schooling was not selected, what is truly amazing is that not only did he win the 100-meter butterfly competition, he also defeated his childhood idol, the "unbeatable" Michael Phelps. And in the process he brought Singapore its first ever gold medal!

    This incredible feat has generated a revival of the old debate and comparison between two Asian cities with similar backgrounds and economic development: Singapore and Hong Kong.

    The Rio Olympic Games: A tale of two sporting cities

    Between the games in Atlanta 1996 and Rio 2016, Lee Lai-shan won the first gold medal for Hong Kong while Singapore did not win any. Schooling's gold medal is significant in that not only did it put Singapore on the global sports map, it also led to renewed criticisms about the Hong Kong government's lack of commitment and failed promises to promote sports among our youth.

    However, I question whether the Schooling phenomenon was a direct result of Singapore government policy and support for sports education. Accordingly, I went to Wikipedia and learned that Schooling studied and trained at the swimming powerhouse, Bolles School in the United States and has been studying at the University of Texas at Austin. Schooling is currently a member of the Texas Longhorns swimming team, one of the top collegiate swimming programs under two-time US Olympic men's head coach Eddie Reese.

    Perhaps more significantly, Schooling is a third-generation Singaporean who came from a family of distinguished athletes: His grand-uncle Lloyd Valberg was Singapore's first Olympian in the 1948 Summer Olympics; his father was a hurdler, water polo and softball player; and his mother represented Perak, Malaysia in tennis.

    It therefore seems that like the arts and other disciplines, sports education is best when it is started early and encouraged at home. Parents can be the most important influence in cultivating their children's passion for sports, as well as setting an example in striving for excellence. However, in a city like Hong Kong in which many parents have to work long hours, this is easier said than done. That is why charitable organizations such as Youth Outreach and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups play such an important role in helping the healthy development of many children and young people.

    In addition, top professional trainers and the right environment are vital for sporting excellence. However, since these are not normally available in Singapore or Hong Kong, training overseas might be necessary - as Schooling and many other outstanding athletes have demonstrated. In this regard, although the US has been a favorite destination for such training, Hong Kong has a distinct advantage in that the Chinese mainland is a world leader in many sports and can be an excellent location for the training of aspiring Hong Kong athletes.

    In any event, it is also best to remember that participating in sports is good for one's health and not everyone has to be a champion to enjoy the experience. After all, even the International Olympic Committee stresses the importance of participation and harmony over simply winning medals.

    Finally, on a personal note, I went to the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as a volunteer and served as a chauffeur for the China Olympic team during its first participation in these games. I was fortunate to drive for the Chinese women's volleyball team. I received a volleyball signed by all its members, including Lang Ping. It is therefore especially gratifying that in addition to winning a gold medal as a player in 1984, Lang won a gold medal, 32 years later, as a coach. Her hard work and inspiration to millions of athletes, not only in China but also worldwide, makes her a heroine of the 2016 Olympic Games.

    (HK Edition 08/26/2016 page1)

    精品久久久久久久久中文字幕| av大片在线无码免费| 久久亚洲AV永久无码精品| 无码夫の前で人妻を犯す中字| 无码国产成人午夜电影在线观看| 在线a亚洲v天堂网2019无码| 日韩乱码人妻无码中文字幕| 国产AV无码专区亚洲A∨毛片| 亚洲精品无码久久久久| 最新版天堂中文在线| 中文字幕在线无码一区| 熟妇无码乱子成人精品| 内射人妻少妇无码一本一道| 天堂资源8中文最新版| 亚洲精品无码成人片在线观看| 欧洲Av无码放荡人妇网站| 亚洲欧洲精品无码AV| 中文字幕日韩人妻不卡一区| 国产中文在线观看| 亚洲精品中文字幕乱码三区| 无码丰满熟妇一区二区| 无码AV大香线蕉| 国产自无码视频在线观看| 国产AV无码专区亚洲精品| 国产精品无码久久综合| 国产精品亚洲аv无码播放| 日韩精品无码一本二本三本 | 日韩中文字幕电影| 中文字幕无码不卡在线| 亚洲 日韩经典 中文字幕| 中文字幕亚洲综合小综合在线 | 国产亚洲美日韩AV中文字幕无码成人| 永久无码精品三区在线4| 无码专区6080yy国产电影| 亚洲精品97久久中文字幕无码 | 中文字幕av无码专区第一页| 一区二区三区无码高清视频| 无码人妻精品中文字幕| 亚洲国产中文v高清在线观看| 国产成人无码AV麻豆| 大桥久未无码吹潮在线观看|