By sportswriter Wang Qin'ou, Li Dian, and Wei Hua
XI'AN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cheng King Leung, acting head of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Delegation, also known as "King Sir" in Hong Kong sport, has been busy at the 14th National Games these days.
At 6 a.m. Friday morning, Cheng set off to Weinan city, approximately 130 kilometers away from Xi'an, capital city of the host province Shaanxi, to watch the women's beach volleyball qualification game that Hong Kong played against Shandong.
In the afternoon, he showed up in the suburb of Xi'an, cheering for the Hong Kong climbers competing in the sport climbing event. His schedule for the next two days was fully occupied by matches around Shaanxi.
"As acting head of the delegation, one of my jobs is to appear at as many as possible games to pump up our young athletes," said Cheung.
On the other hand, the sports enthusiast admitted that he personally enjoys the National Games very much. "It is a feeling of homecoming," he added.
Honored as "Father of Beach Volleyball" of Hong Kong, Cheng has years of experience coaching beach volleyball and has lead Team Hong Kong to win China's womens's middle school beach volleyball championship.
Having traveled a lot, Cheng can clearly tell the difference competing at home and abroad.
"When we go abroad to compete, it is often the case that nobody knows you or even cares about you. But at the opening ceremony [of the National Games] a few days ago, wow, when the Hong Kong delegation stepped into the stadium, lots of hurrahs! Our flag bearer has also gained great attention from media since then," Cheng said.
The lucky one Cheng mentioned was the 26-year-old athlete Au Chi-fung. The city's top climber hadn't been informed of the good news until he was leaving for Xi'an.
"I was still so nervous even before going into the stadium, and the flag was heavier than I had imagined," said Au with laughter recalling the big day. "It was the local audience who encouraged me. They cheered so loudly and somehow gave me the extra strength to wave the flag."
Hong Kong baseball team shared the same warmth that inspired Au when they received some farmers' paintings as special gifts after their last game in Shaanxi. The paintings were drawn in traditional fashion by combining crafts in Chinese paper cutting, Lunar New Year paintings, and murals.
In Cheng's view, getting together with compatriots amid the pandemic is what is worth treasuring.
"I always encourage young athletes from Hong Kong to visit other parts of China," Cheng said.
The senior had noticed how popular some variety shows produced by other provinces among the Hong Kong youth. "But knowing a place on screen is one thing, to experience in person is another. Only when you see the development across China will you truly feel the pride of being a Chinese," he insisted.
The Tokyo Olympics saw Chinese Hong Kong's best performance after the handover, as the delegation pocketed one gold, two silvers and three bronzes. Cheng attributed the feat to the support from the motherland.
"We are grateful that the Chinese central government is always at our backs these years," Cheng said, and he believed the next National Games, which is to be hosted by Hong Kong along with Guangdong and Macao, would be a chance for Hong Kong's next generation.
"I'd say the youth of Hong Kong should participate in sports more often, and inherit the sportsmanship of the Chinese nation," said Cheng. Enditem
原文地址：http://english.sina.com/sports/2021-09-19/detail-iktzscyx5157830.shtml