“Fuzhou Yaba! Matsu Yaba!…” On the morning of the 8th, the opening ceremony of the 6th “Haiqing Cup” cross-strait youth baseball exchange camp of the 11th Strait Youth Festival series was held in Binhai New City Sports Park, Changle District , more than 70 young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait competed in the arena.
Against Pingtan No. 1 Squadron, a player from Matsu High School (left) swings a bat.Photo by reporter Zhang Xuyang
Running, swinging, defensive tackles… On the field, players from Pingtan No. 1 Middle School and players from the Matsu High School baseball team competed on the same stage, running bases and sweating; off the field, players from both sides sat together and communicated Experience, cheers, applause, cheers together, deduce a wonderful summer concerto.
Baseball, as the most popular sport in Taiwan, has gradually risen and been popularized in Fuzhou in recent years. “I hope that through this competition, we can build a bridge of communication between youths on both sides of the strait, so that youths from Fujian and Taiwan can meet friends, build friendship, work together and grow together.” said Ren Zhiyun, president of the Fuzhou Baseball and Softball Association.
“On the court, we are not opponents, but friends who come to enjoy, learn, and improve our skills. We all devote ourselves to the activities and work towards the same goal. During the game, we have shortened the distance between each other , and also built an emotional connection.” Zheng Xinyong, the general leader of the Taiwan team and the honorary chairman of the Matsu Slow Pitch Softball Committee, said that the 62-year-old is affectionately called “Papa Zheng” by the players on both sides of the strait, and he came to Fujian for exchanges over and over again because of baseball. In the process of learning, he gradually fell in love with Fuzhou, a city with a profound cultural heritage and a warm and open mind.
In addition to Fuzhou “old friends” like Zheng Xinyong, there are many “new friends” among the Matsu team members, and their ancestral home is Changle, Fuzhou. Taiwanese graduate student Chen Hanxing is one of them. For Chen Hanxing, playing in his hometown for the first time is not only a battle of friendship, but also a journey to find his roots. The local accent that can be heard everywhere makes him feel very cordial.
“Participating in a sport together is a very good way to enhance communication between people.” Chen Hanxing said that baseball is the number one sport in Taiwan, and almost everyone knows it. With baseball as a bridge, it can strengthen cross-strait relations. Compatriots’ contacts and exchanges, “Now the traffic on both sides of the strait is getting more and more convenient, and there are more and more walks. I look forward to this Haiqing Festival event so that I can have the opportunity to see more places in Fuzhou so as to better understand this city. The city where our ancestors once lived.” (Reporter Song Yimin)
2023-08-09 07:50:55
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