[Commentary] Fang Xin, He Xin, and Wang Yuqing, these are the three members of the Chinese women's ice hockey team for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Recently, a reporter saw them in an ice hockey hall in Pingfang District, Harbin. The photos are displayed here, inspiring teenagers who train hard on the pitch.

Although the three of them did not train in this arena, they were inextricably linked with the people here.

  [Explanation] The story starts from a rural primary school 20 years ago. The school is called Xinhua Primary School and is located in Zhenghuang Situn, Xinhua Village, Pingxin Town, Pingfang District, Harbin City.

In 2002, Wang Weiwei, who was the coach of the enterprise-run ice hockey team, was transferred to Xinhua Primary School by the District Sports Commission due to the disbandment of the team. At that time, everything had to start from scratch. I poured ice, and when there were no students, I went to villages and households to preach again and again.

Speaking of the scene of training outdoors, Coach Wang is still vivid in his mind.

  [Concurrent] Ice hockey coach Wang Weiwei

  It was very difficult at the time. The last time my team members froze, the frost on the ankles and feet, or the eye hairs were frozen and stuck to the frost. It was a normal phenomenon. The ankles were frozen or frayed. It's all normal, but my team members still don't have one, and there is no one complaining, and they can still train with me.

  [Commentary] Talking about several team members who went to the Winter Olympics this year, Coach Wang introduced that when He Xin first arrived in the team, she could not master her footsteps well, which often resulted in ankle wear and tear, but she was tenacious and would not admit defeat. No delay in training.

  [Concurrent] Ice hockey coach Wang Weiwei

  She just frayed the ankle, put paper on it the next day, put it on the ice after the ice was finished, and when the ice was off, let the blood, the bleeding, stick the paper to the ankle, and then after that, after the second The day has to be so icy.

  [Explanation] In 2009, Xinhua Primary School was transferred to a principal named Liu Wanfu. In order to find a differentiated development path for this rural primary school, after a deep discussion with Wang Weiwei, Principal Liu announced at the school meeting that "the establishment of an ice hockey school" "development goals.

Then he led the team to run along the Jingha Line and Hamu Line of the expressway to the surrounding villages to start recruiting students, from only a dozen students back then to more than 120 students today.

Talking about the difficult conditions of the year, he still remembers it vividly.

  [Concurrent] Liu Wanfu, former principal of Xinhua Primary School

  The protective gear is worn by this generation and passed on to the next generation. The big player, the skates, has finished wearing it and handed it down to the young players. Because of the limited economic conditions, we do not have any new protective gear. They are all sponsors. He buys a few, especially for the country. These big sisters and big brothers in the team, we eliminated the used ones and gave them to us, and we sewed them for the children, sewed and mended them, and then used them for the children.

  [Explanation] In 2012, with the acceleration of urbanization, many villages began to expropriate and relocate, including Xinhua Primary School. In the following 7 years, the school site has been relocated four times. Principal Liu mobilized all male teachers in the school to move the school. We will pour the ice rink wherever we go.

  [Concurrent] Liu Wanfu, former principal of Xinhua Primary School

  As soon as we approached the last winter, we organized the male teachers of the whole school to set up the barriers and organized the ice bottom. We rushed to the ice bottom at eight or nine o'clock in the evening and poured it until eleven or twelve in the middle of the night. After the bottom of the ice is finished, the next day, you can get on the small ice truck and push the big sledge, put a big bucket on top and start pouring the ice.

  [Explanation] Also in 2012, due to a sudden brain disease, Wang Weiwei fell ill.

Liu Wanfu recruited Yang Dongxue, who graduated from a professional college, to take over as Coach Wang. Although the salary was not high at the time and the training conditions for the outdoor ice rink were poor, the 24-year-old Yang Dongxue still took on the task of coaching more than 30 small players.

Working on ice all the year round made her suffer from severe nephritis, but this still could not stop her love and dedication to this career. From 12 years to now, this young girl has been working on ice for ten years.

  [Concurrent] Ice hockey coach Yang Dongxue

  I like ice hockey, I love ice hockey, and I regard ice hockey as a part of my life. Now that I have chosen, I have to do it even on my knees.

  [Explanation] In 2018, the newly established Xinhua Primary School was renamed Nancheng Primary School, and a modern ice hockey stadium covering an area of ​​2,400 square meters was erected. A plaque outside the stadium reads "China Women's Ice Hockey Team Reserve Talent training base".

In the past 20 years, the school has cultivated 77 national-level athletes. Among the 22 members of the Chinese youth women's ice hockey team, 9 have studied at Xinhua Primary School, and a large number of female national ice hockey players have gone to the world arena from here.

Better hardware facilities, stronger coaching team, all to give children a better future.

  [Concurrent] Liu Wanfu, former principal of Xinhua Primary School

  Set up a fight for the children, another road to success, for the children, both in terms of learning and ice hockey, let them have a good harvest.

  Li Jiangming reports from Harbin, Heilongjiang

Responsible editor: [Wang Shanshan]