Chinese, but competing under a different flag
Fierce competition in the national Olympic team has led to more athletes migrating
In the age of globalization, competing at the Olympics means potentially coming up against former teammates who now represent rival nations — a reality Team China must confront in Rio de Janeiro.
Sports with a strong base in China produce many world-class athletes, and a growing number are being welcomed by other countries to use their skills in international competition, such as at the Summer Games.
In table tennis alone, as many as 30 athletes born in China or who have Chinese ancestry have qualified for one of the 140 places in the men’s and women’s singles draws at the Rio Olympics, not including the 12 representing China, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
When the women’s team competition between China and Brazil began on Friday, the first singles match looked like a game from the Chinese National Games, as both players spoke the same language and used a similar attacking style.
The paddler in the Brazil jersey who received huge cheers from the crowd was Gui Lin, a Chinese-born athlete who moved to the South American nation in 2005.
Although Gui lost to her opponent, Liu Shiwen, the world No 1, in just 19 minutes, for her to appear at the Olympics at all — not to mention representing the host nation — was a dream come true.
“If I’d stayed in China, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to compete at the Olympics because there are way too many players there. It was not an easy decision to make, but it was all worth it,” said the 22-year-old, who lives and trains in Sao Paulo.
The matchup underlined a trend dating back to the 1980s of Chinese athletes switching nationality to compete for other nations, driven by the prospect of brighter career opportunities.
As a world power in sports like table tennis, badminton and diving, China is never short of talent thanks to its rigorous State-funded cultivation system. However, the fierce competition for spots in the national team has forced some top athletes nearing or exceeding the age of 30 to migrate, particularly to Europe, for the chance to compete internationally and make a better living from their hard-earned skills.
The two oldest table tennis players at the Rio Olympics — He Zhiwen, 54, and Ni Xialian, 53 — were among the first generation of national team players who became naturalized citizens of European nations. The Chinese media dubbed them “the foreign legion”.
“The Olympics is just so special that you can’t turn it down when the offer comes knocking,” said He, who has represented Spain since obtaining citizenship in 2002. “Moving to this country, I have been able to extend my career, so I’m grateful for the support it offered.”
Born and raised in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, he was part of the Chinese team that went to the 1985 World Championships, winning a bronze medal in the men’s doubles. His former teammates include Cai Zhenhua, the current vice-minister of sport.
Ni, who is taking part in her fourth Olympics for Luxembourg, echoed He and said that the emotional connection she has with her adopted home has kept her competing.
“I can’t really stop as they (the Luxembourg table tennis federation) came back again and again asking me to play. I feel responsible for Luxembourg as a daughter-in-law of this country,” said Ni, who married her husband, coach Tommy Danielsson, after settling down in the European country in 1991.
Following in their footsteps, a younger generation of Chinese talent, such as Liu Jia, have embraced the task of challenging the supremacy of their ancestral home. After moving to Austria in 1997, Liu stole the limelight at the 2001 World Championships by eliminating China’s Yang Ying in the women’s singles third round.
Liu, who started playing table tennis in Beijing at 11 years old, was chosen as Austria’s flag-bearer for the Rio Olympics opening ceremony, to mark her fifth time representing the nation at the Games since Sydney 2000.
In addition to table tennis, Chinese names can also be found on several countries’ rosters for Olympic badminton and diving events.
Ten Chinese-Australian athletes are part of the delegation from Down Under, while four athletes with Chinese heritage have been competing in Canada’s colors in Rio de Janeiro.
However, the transition to a different culture, coupled with the language barrier, can make it tough for some Chinese athletes to fit in with their adopted environments.
Feng Yijun, a 19-year-old table tennis player who moved to the United States from Jiangsu province at age 8, said it is not always easy.
“If you move to the US too late, I don’t think it’s worth it,” said Feng, whose first-round match in the men’s singles at the Rio Olympics was against veteran He. “(Latecomers) will have a hard time learning the language and getting used to the social environment. Plus, the long wait for your citizenship is a hard process.”
And not all China-born athletes receive a warm welcome in their new nation, as sometimes concerns are raised that their presence could compromise the development of homegrown talent.
“There have always been some complaints from native fans,” said Peter Hubner, a sports reporter covering table tennis for German news agency Deutsche Presse Agentur. “They’re afraid that the use of Chinese immigrants may affect the resource and funding allocated to developing native talents.
“It makes sense. But it will be easier for the second generation of Chinese to be accepted.”
If I’d stayed in China, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to compete at the Olympics.” Gui Lin, table tennis player representing Brazil