Team spirit propels Chinese archers to victory in Chengdu

Photo: Chen Tao/GT

An impressive display by the Chinese archery team at the Chengdu Universiade hit a bull's-eye with spectators and athletes from all over the world. On Sunday, after a fierce competition against traditionally strong teams from India, South Korea and France, the Chinese team won gold in the compound men's team and recurve women's team finals.

"It will certainly go down in the history of the development of archery among Chinese college students," Zhang Bo, deputy head of the Chinese archery team of Chengdu FISU Games and deputy dean of the School of Physical Education and Health at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times.

The award-winning athletes told the Global Times that the victory in the team event fully embodies the cooperation among the athletes to produce a powerful synergy beyond their individual capabilities, and also proves to more people that, as long as there is the love and hard work, college students as non-professional players can stand atop world's highest podium of the comprehensive sports event.

"During the competition, each round we clap to encourage each other, this is the team spirit that we have distilled to help us win," Du Meiyu from Tongji University, gold medalist in the compound men's event, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The main goal of the Chinese archery team in the compound bow is to compete for the gold medal in the men's and women's team event, Zhang said, noting that the team is striving for gold medals in various team events. They have made targeted tactical preparations in terms of athletes' mentality and techniques during the short period they came together to train before the competition. 

Zhang said the gold medals they won will play a positive role in promoting archery among Chinese university students. "It's just like sowing a seed among the college student community," Zhang said.

Archery used to be considered a niche sport in China compared to South Korea and India. However, Zhang said the sport is suitable for the university environment and has become increasingly popular among Chinese college students. Du, who started learning archery at the age of 13 at an amateur archery club, persisted in his hobby despite his busy academic schedule. After being admitted to Tongji University and becoming the president of the university's archery association, he has made it his mission to promote archery among his schoolmates. 

Currently, the archery association is one of the most popular student clubs at Tongji University. 

Zhang explained that archery can meet the needs of many students who prefer quiet sports and can also help them develop their mindset, self-control and resilience. 

Nearly 200 universities in China have archery programs, with over 100 universities incorporating archery into their curriculum. Some 60-70 universities participate in the national college archery competition each year with around 500-600 participants. This is a true reflection of the growing popularity of archery among Chinese college students, Zhang said.