“Military Glory, World Peace.” From October 18th to 27th, the 7th CISM Military World Games was held in Wuhan. Since its starting day in 1995, the Military World Games has been organized every four years with the theme of promoting world peace. This year, delegations from 109 countries and 27 sport events ignited the excitement of Wuhan dwellers. WHU was gloriously honored to be part of this international event and hold badminton competitions. Zall Stadium of WHU, a venue built last year in the west of the campus, welcomed badminton athletes worldwide and over 8000 spectators each day.
The Zall Stadium
During this period, energetic and youthful students in green-and-white uniforms could be seen in various venues scattered in the city. “Smart Shuishan”, what we call the volunteer group formed by more than 50 thousand university or college students, became beautiful scenery in every corner of the venues and provided services to athletes, referees and spectators. It's worth noting that 1037 WHUers participated in the volunteer work, including interpreting, guiding and broadcasting etc. The volunteers went through rounds of competitive interviews and professional training before they were selected and assigned to particular positions, thus were able to show the excellence of WHUers and to make use of their capacities and talents to facilitate the competitions.
We interviewed some volunteers who have worked on different positions to share their stories during the 7th CISM Military World Games.
Shen Yuxi, interpreter
For these days in Zall Stadium, I had been serving as the interpreter for Lieutenant Colonel Marc Madeleine C. De Wagter, Badminton Official CISM Representative and CISM Treasurer General. Marc impressed me with his dedication to his work. As the chief director and supervisor assigned by CISM, he was seated on the stage and taking down the results of all the competitions from the first round at 9:00 a.m. to the last one at almost 10:00 p.m. As for me, my work is to make his communication easier with his Chinese counterparts and other directors. Therefore, I was as “dedicated” as Marc throughout these days. A good sleep seemed to be a luxury for me during the events. However, all the tiredness can be wiped off by the excitement and fulfillment in this wonderful experience.
I can still remember the shooting shuttlecocks above the court from one side to the other, the resonant songs by the Chinese soldiers pumping for their comrades, the sportive spectators cheering for each fantastic stroke no matter where the athlete comes from. This is an event of sportsmanship, comradeship and cross-culture friendship, without boundaries and free from conflicts. I am proud of being a contributary WHUer to this international Games since I have been trying to present the best of my alma mater. Just as what I frequently interpreted from Marc, “the organizing committee of Wuhan University has done really a good job in preparing and holding the Badminton events”, our efforts are affirmed and appreciated.
Shen Yuxi (left) and Lieutenant Colonel Marc Madeleine C. De Wagter (right)
Wan Qian, English announcer
In the badminton events, I worked as an English announcer, a very important and challenging job. All I had to do is to focus, focus and always focus to ignite the passion and excitement of spectators with my voice, because there was no room for any mistake. It was a pure delight for me when audiences became very responsive. Working at such a high-end event has left me with valuable experience and wonderful memories.
Pan Jiachang, hostess
The responsibility of a hostess is not only awarding the medals, but also presenting national image. During the award ceremony, a group of girls in traditional Chinese Cheongsam and with bright smile were eye-catching. However, the tough training process that sculptured their elegance remained unseen.
“We had to stand and walk in high heels for hours every day before the Games in order to get used to them”, said Yang Tianyue, a volunteer majoring in computer science. “Besides, we practiced everyday walking together in a line so as to make sure that we could coordinate with each other when handing out medals on the stage”, explained Yang. Gao Hui, a medical student, described the job as a tiring and sometimes boring task. She said, “No matter how hard it was, I didn't even think of giving up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the CISM Military World Games. I also made friends with other hostess girls, we supported each other and thus made things easier”. Owing to the continuous practice of the procedure, the hostesses were able to deliver wonderful performance on stage.
Hostesses at the medal presentation ceremony
Qin Zehao, competition arrangement assistant
Being a volunteer at badminton competitions of the 7th CISM Military World Games was an unforgettable experience for me over the past half year. In spring, I submitted my application form and passed the interview. In summer, I attended online and offline training, passed tests and ultimately became one of the volunteers. In autumn, I was assigned to the competition arrangement and results group and began the preparation work.
With my partners, I helped judges to make the drawing plan and tools and rehearsed for the Draw Ceremony. During the Games, I was on duty in the mornings or (and) evenings. Every morning before the competitions began, I had proofread, handed out and posted documents such as daily schedules and result brackets. After the matches, I checked and released the results of the day. I also contacted judges or volunteers from other groups if necessary. Although the work was simple and repetitive, I improved my carefulness and patience in the process. As an assistant of the judges, I was inspired by their passion and dedication, professionalism and capability. I did learn a lot from them and appreciate this wonderful experience.
Zhu Tong, guide at the torch relay ceremony
I felt extremely lucky to join the volunteer team of the Games in my first year of postgraduate study. I had no chance to serve at the stadiums during the competitions because the recruitment process had ended before I came to Wuhan University, but I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to be a volunteer at the torch relay ceremony on October 16th.
We rehearsed the whole process one day before, and started to work at 4 am on the day. Since I was responsible for guiding media staffs to specific areas, I could communicate with them and watch the ceremony from a good sight. I was deeply impressed by three soldier guards carrying the flame to the stage, sacredly and solemnly. When the first torch was lighted and passed to the first torchbearer, I was so excited that my tears almost ran out of my eyes. The ceremony was successful thanks to the efforts of soldiers and officials who stood without raincoats in the rain. It was honorable for me to witness the start of this international event as well as the glory and solemnity of soldiers. Tiring but worthwhile, this volunteer experience cultivated my spirit of arduousness and inspired my pursuit of excellence.
Photo by Li Hao & Shen Yuxi & Pan Jiachang
Edited by Wan Qian, Wei Junyi & Hu Sijia
