At the Beijing Olympics, China's women’s gymnastics team won its first ever gold medal in the team event and might win several more individual gold medals. For them, this should be a very joyful time. However, I have always been worried about these young girls.
During the qualifying competition on August 10, He Kexin fell from the bars, causing me to say to myself, “Poor girl!” as it brought back memories.
A few years ago, I visited the Fujian Provincial Athletic Center and saw the girls gymnastics training. The eldest of them was 11 and the youngest was seven years old. They were sent from various counties and cities in China or they were recommended by officials. Upon seeing their smiling faces in training, I thought they were very happy as they trained; upon seeing their obedience toward the coach's directions, I thought they were very disciplined; upon seeing the sweat on their cheeks, I thought they were very diligent.
During their break, I walked up to a young girl. The coach gave her an angry stare and she quickly shied away. Even though she squeezed a smile at me, I saw the pained expression in her eyes.
An old friend accompanied me—a former Deputy Chief of the Provincial Sports Commission—and told me, “The training has not finished—they are not allowed to speak.” Is that right? I then started to worry about these girls.
At noon, I had lunch at the training facilities with my old friend. I asked about whether I could talk to one of the girls. My friend said sure, but afterwards I cannot write any articles about this or give any exposure. I smiled.
The coach called over a young girl who then sat beside me.
I asked, “How old are you?”
She said, “Sir, I am 8 years old.”
I asked, “Where are you from?”
She replied, “Sir, I am from Xiamen.”
I said, “Is training a lot of hardship?”
She replied, “To fight for the glory of the country is not hardship.” After the girl said this, she gazed at her coach.
I asked if she missed her home, and she replied, “Sir, I don't miss home. I will take on hardship and train, to fight for honor for the nation.”
Upon saying this, she looked at the coach again. When she saw the coach was silent, she said in a light voice, “I miss daddy, mommy, and I also miss my grandma and grandpa.”
The coach gave her a stare, so she immediately changed what she said, “Uncle, I only miss them a little bit, a little bit, now I don't miss them.”
I asked, “You don't miss them?”
She replied, “Sir, I don't miss them.”
"You really don't?”
"Sir, I, I miss them a little.” I saw her terrified, gazing at the coach, I stared at the coach very hard. The coach was quick and she stopped staring at the girl.
I said, “Little girl, let me see your hands.” The girl was shocked and colorless. She kept her hands firmly behind her back and her eyes filled with terror.
My old friend said, “Let him see them.”
I couldn’t believe these were this little girl’s hands! The calluses on these little hands were thicker than what I had when I was a farmer. Are these the hands of a child? The tiny palms were embedded with cracks where the flesh got exposed. One could also see blood coming out and the flesh was stained with blood. Pain struck my heart and my chest moved heavily while holding the girl's hands.
I looked at my friend and asked, “Are the hands of your children like this?!”
My friend replied, “You are too naïve! All gymnasts have been trained this way!”
I took a severe tone, “Hmph, besides acting like a robot and saying 'fight for the nation's honor,' besides calling me 'uncle,' what else has she said that’s true? Could it be that she isn’t really home sick, and doesn’t miss her mum and dad in ernest? Should the nation be responsible for their development or should these tiny shoulders hold the weight of responsibility for the nation? They are still underage! They should be sent back home and back to school!”
My friend mumbled, “Don't cause trouble for me here. Go!” And he took me by the arm. The coach shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, showing her inability to comprehend.
On our way back, I learned of a few basic rules about the realm of gymnastics: During six months of training, except in extenuating circumstances, the children could not go home and the parents could not visit the camp. Three days after an appendicitis operation, a gymnast must be back in training. For competitions, the girls had no choice but to take drugs to amend their biological clock and to postpone menstruation.
I scolded my friend, “You are being fascist!”
He explained to me, “‘Demon training’ in our nation began in 1963. In 1964, the National Sports Committee passed an order to work towards the demon training method adopted by Japanese coach Daimatsu Hirobumi. For so many years, this is what we have done.”
In order to not break my promise, I had never revealed the training environment of the female gymnasts at our provincial athletics center. I hope the parents and grandparents of these children will quickly bring them back home so they can be normal.
Children in China–don't train for gymnastics, even if you lose your father or grandma.
According to statistics:
1. The standard for gymnastics in Fujian province is at the bottom of our nation.
2. There are 100,000 people being trained for gymnastics in China, 200 of whom are “elite” athletes. That’s 0.2 percent.
3. Even if China wins 10 gold medals at the Olympics, this accounts for only 0.01 percent of our gymnasts!
I do not want to infer anything more from these statistics but Fujian is not exactly the 'disaster zone' of the Chinese gymnastics world. Most of the 'disaster zones' and 'serious disaster zones' are situated in Beijing, Guangzhou, Henan, Hunan, and Guangxi. When more statistics are exposed, parents will be shocked.
There is an old Chinese saying which can be applied to the Chinese gymnastic teams. It goes something like this, “A general’s reputation is built upon the sacrifices of tens of thousands of soldiers.”
When the girls won their first team gold in history, and when Cheng Fei grabbed the first individual gold in floor gymnastics, or when He Kexin re-established herself to win gold on the uneven bars, my sorrow surpasses my joy.
Girls, take care of yourselves. The Beijing Olympics will not suffer if you’re not there. When daddy, mommy, grandma and grandpa are not at your side, you must protect yourselves. Just don't hurt yourselves and don't get injured! Tens of thousands of dollars in prize money for winning the gold cannot buy the meaning of life, the meaning of growing up, or the reason for existence. He Kexin, if you fall again from the uneven bars, I say don't go back there—go home, and lean by the side of your mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and the teachers at school.
