Zha Xiaohui and her teammates prepare for the very first national competition of their life in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. The Jinghong No 1 Middle School, where they study, has become the benchmark rugby-playing school in Xishuangbanna since September 2020.
Zha Xiaohui at a professional rugby training session (Photos: Xinhua)
Zha, a member of Hani ethnic group, has been selected into the professional rugby training team. The 14-year-old girl is talented in sports.
Zha has been winning the first place in the games of 100-meter, 200m, and 400m. However, when she started the rugby training, she went through pains, frustration and fear.
"It's too difficult, and my skills are worse than others," Zha once said, thus she dared not do some of the moves...
At the very start of her training, Zha had gotten injured. "[I got] injured with dislocated a hand. It is very painful," Zha told her mother in their video call.
"I don't want to practice anymore," said Zha in her tears.
Her mother was concerned and asked about Zha's swollen hand. However, after the initial concerns, what she told Zha had a great impact.
"You have to walk [down] the path that you chose by yourself even if crying," said the mother and then hung up the phone.
Zha remembers what her mother said. After the phone call, whenever Zha had an injury or a technical problem that she could not overcome during training, she'd communicate with her teammates and continue to train even harder.
Every weekend Zha has a long phone call with her mother, who always makes her laugh on the phone. But after hanging up the mother often comes to tears thinking about her daughter's pain.
"It hurts, but I'm still here," Zha said. She has so far learned some basic skills, techniques and tactics.
"I don't want to fall behind. I want to be better than others and compete with other teams. I will be very excited and happy if I could represent our country in the competition. I will then tell my family and everyone around me," said Zha.
Zha lives in her school and goes home once every one or two months.
Her experience has helped her understand her parents and when she is on holiday, she also helps them with some farm work.
Growing, sometimes, comes from the tough love that pushes one to go further. After all, nobody is born a champion.
(Compiled by Dong Feng)
