(East-West Question) Oszosen: China-Africa Sports Exchange in My Eyes
China News Agency, Johannesburg, June 24th: China-Africa sports exchanges in my eyes
——Interview with former Deputy Minister of Sports of the South African Government, Oszosen
China News Agency reporter Wang Xi
As two major players in the world sports arena, sports in China and Africa have their own characteristics.
In recent years, China-Africa relations have become increasingly close, and it has played a significant role in promoting the development of China-Africa sports. China-Africa sports exchanges have benefited from it, and the depth and breadth have been deepened.
As a well-known South African statesman, Gert Oosthuizen, former Deputy Minister of Sports of the South African government, has focused on China-Africa sports exchanges in recent years, and spared no effort in promoting African sports to China.
Oszosen recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "East-West Question", and talked about the development characteristics of China-Africa sports and the significance of China-Africa sports exchanges.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Agency reporter: As an expert in the field of China-Africa sports exchanges, please introduce the development and characteristics of China-Africa sports.
Oszosen:
Sports exchanges between Africa and China began in the 1950s.
In 1957, less than a year after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, China sent a table tennis team to visit Egypt, becoming the first Chinese sports team to set foot on the African continent.
Since then, football, basketball, and volleyball teams at all levels in China and Africa have also had experience in exchanging competitions.
Entering the 21st century, the content and forms of exchanges between the two sides have become more diversified. For example, China dispatches coaches of advantageous sports such as badminton and table tennis to African countries to carry out sports technical cooperation; China builds, maintains and upgrades sports venues for African countries; Provide relevant technical training and guidance for African countries to hold large-scale sports events; Africa regularly sends international students of sports programs to China for exchange and study.
In January 2007, Shandong Province held the expedition ceremony of Chinese youth volunteers in Africa, and 15 members of the service team to Zimbabwe took over the flags.
China News Agency issued Jin Yun photo
In the context of the increasingly important public diplomacy, sports have always played a very important role as a bridge in Africa-China relations.
The sports exchanges between Africa and China have deepened mutual understanding and mutual trust, and promoted the sustainable development of friendly relations between the two sides.
It is with the help of China that African table tennis, volleyball and other relatively weak sports in the past have improved significantly. Some athletes in these sports have even successfully entered the Olympic Games.
China News Agency reporter: As the most important part of China-Africa sports exchanges, the construction of stadiums has always attracted worldwide attention. Please tell us about its development history.
Oszosen:
China's aid in the construction of African stadiums can be roughly divided into three stages: the first stage was from 1955 to 1980, mainly in African countries such as Tanzania, Somalia and Sierra Leone, but due to economic constraints, China's aided construction The overall number of projects is relatively small, and the influence is relatively limited; the second stage is from 1980 to 2005. With the improvement of China's comprehensive national strength, China has aided more sports venues in Africa and has a greater influence.
During this period, China has assisted in the construction of stadiums in 25 African countries and regions; the third phase has continued to expand the scale of construction assistance and the forms have become more diverse since 2006.
At present, there are more than 80 large-scale stadiums and stadiums built by China in Africa, with a total of about 3 million seats. Among them, the National Stadium in Gabon and the Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea have hosted the Africa Cup of football.
All in all, China's aided infrastructure projects in Africa, mainly on the construction of stadiums, have a significant impact on the social and economic development of African countries, the improvement of people's living standards and the increase of employment opportunities, and also further consolidate and develop the friendly relations between Africa and China.
China News Service reporter: In addition to the construction of stadiums, what are the highlights of China-Africa non-governmental sports exchanges?
Oszosen:
In recent years, under the framework of the "Belt and Road" initiative, BRICS countries, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, sports exchanges between Africa and China have become more frequent and enthusiastic, and at the same time, they have gradually expanded from official to non-governmental.
In August 2019, a player from the South African football team raised his mobile phone to take pictures at the opening ceremony of the 2019 "Gothic Cup China" World Youth Football Tournament in Qingdao.
Photo by China News Agency Wang Haibin
Some Chinese companies have invested in the sports industry in Africa since 2014, purchased the copyrights of world-renowned sports events, built their own high-definition sports channels, and broadcast football, basketball, tennis and racing events to sub-Saharan African audiences.
In view of the fact that the African people generally love football, the Chinese company also specially broadcast and produced the African local football league program, which has won a large number of local audiences.
This year, the Chinese company also successfully broadcasted the grand occasion of the Beijing Winter Olympics to the African continent.
Especially during the Winter Olympics, more than 30 episodes of feature films produced by the company focused on Chinese venues and various events, so that African people could learn about the Winter Olympics and the Beijing Winter Olympics.
It can be said that more and more Chinese enterprises are now serving as bridges for sports exchanges between Africa and China, providing people on the African continent with a variety of sports event resources, which not only enriches the lives of African people, but also brings Chinese advantages such as badminton and table tennis. Sports events are extended to more African countries.
On the evening of February 4, 2022, the opening ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games was held at the Beijing National Stadium.
The picture shows Dinigel Yilamujiang and Zhao Jiawen leaving the last torch at the center of "Big Snowflake".
Photo by China News Agency reporter Mao Jianjun
China News Agency reporter: What are the main aspects of the significance of China-Africa sports exchanges?
Oszosen:
It is mainly reflected in three aspects.
First, as an important aid and supplement to the diplomatic means of the two sides, sports, with its unique cultural attributes, has successfully transformed itself into a bridge of friendship between Africa and China, which not only deepens mutual understanding and trust, but also promotes the development of their respective sports undertakings. .
The second is the embodiment of the concept of a China-Africa community with a shared future.
The development of Africa-China relations is also the development of Africa-China sports exchanges. China has provided great help to the African continent and its people in the course of more than 60 years of sports exchanges with Africa. The sincere enthusiasm of the Chinese people has long been recognized by the African people.
I remember that at the 2018 BRICS Games, the South African people consciously cheered on the Chinese women's volleyball team. There is no doubt that the scene was moving.
In June 2017, the 2017 BRICS Games opened in Guangzhou. Athlete representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa and China attended the opening ceremony.
China News Agency reporter Chen Wenshe
The third is to promote the development of sports in Africa.
Over the past half century, China has contributed a lot of human and material resources to African sports, improving the hardware level of African sports, and at the same time bringing table tennis, badminton, martial arts and other previously weak sports to new heights.
For example, the number one player in African table tennis, Aruna, was driven by the coaches from China to help Africa, and then he embarked on the road of table tennis step by step.
Although the road of sports exchanges between Africa and China is not destined to be smooth, I always have full confidence in it.
In my opinion, Africa-China sports exchange is one of the epitome of friendly relations between Africa and China, and it always reflects the sincere friendship between the people of Africa and China.
In another year, the World Table Tennis Championships in South Africa will be held in Durban.
At that time, the Chinese team will come to the African continent again and play the role of the messenger of sports exchanges between Africa and China.
(Finish)
Interviewee Profile:
Gert Oosthuizen, former Deputy Minister of Sports of the South African Government, a senior politician in South Africa, has focused on China-Africa sports exchanges in recent years.