Chapter 12 6. Brothers are of one heart, and their profits cut gold: Thomas Cup, my first world champion
After the All England Championship, the team's first major battle will be in May.At that time, the last time the Chinese team won the Thomas Cup three consecutive times dates back to 1990.In other words, it has been 14 years since the Thomas Cup, which represents the highest honor of the world badminton men's team, has left the embrace of the Chinese team.
In order to prepare for the Thomas Cup, I began to take the initiative to train myself.For example, when everyone else is resting, or when the holidays are off, I will still keep myself in a competitive state.The reason for this is that after experiencing the ups and downs in the past few years, I feel that there can be no genius in the Chinese badminton team. Everyone is working hard every day, and they are secretly competing.Although I am number one in the world, I am not yet a world champion.It is not so easy to climb to the top of the mountain to have a look.Once you relax even a bit, it's easy to fall to pieces.So I tried my best and tried my best to keep myself in a good state of being "No. 1 in the world".
Before we set off, we didn't have the confidence to win, so we could only fight. In 2004, the Indonesian team had won the soup cup for five consecutive times, and this time it was playing at home, so the outside world was not optimistic about us at all.To be honest, we were all rookies at that time. It was my first time to play No. 1 singles, and it was also the first time for Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng in the men’s doubles to play in the soup cup. Moreover, our men’s doubles were always suppressed. It also belongs to the role of being bullied.But it is precisely our new generation, the whole team united from beginning to end, relying on a tenacious team strength, stunned to win back the Thomas Cup at home in Indonesia.
The Senayan Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia is a very special stadium in the world.The fans there are crazy.If many fans and friends have not experienced it personally, they may not be able to imagine what kind of fanaticism it is.Playing there is like going through a heavyweight boxing match.I also joked that the reporters who can go there to interview are probably also qualified as war correspondents, because the decibels are so loud that you have to prepare a pair of earplugs.
I don't know the proper words to describe it, I just know that during the game I couldn't hear myself talking or the racket hitting the ball, let alone the coach yelling at me.All you hear is the cheers of the audience and cheers for the Indonesian team.In such an environment, it is difficult to focus on the game without distractions.
When I was a child, I went to the Indiana Open, and I experienced it. The Tangyu Cup in 2004 was the third time I went to Indonesia. Looking back now, I can still feel the shock of the local audience.
From before the departure to Indonesia to the subsequent preparation meeting, the factor that everyone considered most was the audience.Because the opponents know each other better, they are afraid that some external factors will interfere with the game.
Coincidentally, we were in the same group as Indonesia.Before the game, the media exaggerated the qualifying situation of this so-called "group of death". The temperature in Jakarta in May is as high as 35 degrees Celsius, which is unbearably hot.Fueled by the media, the fanatical and restless atmosphere in the Senayan Stadium was pushed to the apex.
The Sino-Indian war started as scheduled.I remember the first game, it was me playing against Indonesian player Sony.After I came out, I was booed by the home audience. I stepped down and scored the first point.As a result, when Xiaobao and Taufik played in the second singles, Xiaobao received far more treatment than me, and was booed even more.Taufik is the national idol in everyone's mind there. He is not only the top golfer in the world, but also has a very good image. Many fans in Indonesia like him very much.The cheers given to him are naturally very different from the treatment given to his opponents.
Throughout the game, whenever Bao returned the ball, tens of thousands of people booed him in unison with a "woo" sound, and shouted "ah" when Taufik attacked.So, we spent this heart-wrenching game in the alternation of "woo" and "ah".Fortunately, we had a 2-0 lead at that time, and Xiao Bao also performed very well, winning Taufik 2-0.At that time, it was already said that Bao Chunlai was Taufik's "nemesis".Therefore, we won the group stage 3-0 very smoothly.No one expected that Indonesia would be eliminated so easily, and the Chinese team advanced to the next round as the first in the group.
In such a special away game, we actually pulled the host off the horse, and the whole team felt very encouraged.
That time, Xiao Bao and I lived in the same room.In 2002, he had already participated in the Tom Cup as the second singles player, but unfortunately he lost against Malaysia in the semifinals.I was the third singles player at the time, and before I could play, the Chinese team lost 1-3.Neither of us thought much of it when we came to Jakarta.I just feel that there is such an opportunity to become a world champion, and I really want to work hard, and I am worthy of myself and the team.
We played against South Korea in the semi-finals, and we made it through.We are all excited to cross the threshold of the finals - our chance has come!
In the final against Denmark, as the first singles, I had to face Gade's "revenge" battle after losing in the All England Championship.Everyone knows in their hearts that if the first game can be won with a good start, the winning side will have a greater chance of winning the cup.So, after defeating Gade 2-0, I couldn't help but take off my jersey and knelt down and roared.Thinking of this supreme national honor, I gave a military salute after getting up.I didn't do it on purpose, it's just a matter of love.
After winning Gade, I kept my 5-0 Tom Cup win streak in 2004.I did what I was supposed to do, and I satisfactorily completed my mission, leaving the rest to my teammates.
In the subsequent first doubles match, Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng lost.In the second singles, Xiao Bao won Jonathan.The Chinese team still leads 2-1.It was Zheng Bo/Sang Yang who sealed the victory for us in the second doubles.When they scored the last point, one was lying on the ground and the other was kneeling on the floor, and everyone rushed into the field like a whirlwind, hugging them.After watching the video, I found out that at that time, some teammates no longer cared about the one lying on the ground, and flew directly over him, rushing towards the kneeling one.At that moment, we hugged each other.We are all world champions now, we can be on the championship list!
It was the happiest night of my career.Because it is the purest and simplest.Since I started playing badminton at the age of 5, my dream has been to become a world champion.Now that the dream has come true, the joy from the heart can only be understood by being there.More importantly, I still have so many teammates to share with, so the happiness will only be magnified.
Although I have achieved the "Grand Slam" eight or eight years later, people are calculating whether I can get the 17th, or 18th world championship titles, but the 2004 Thomas Cup champion is my so many champions. The first one in it is also the one that impresses me the most.Rather than saying that what I miss is the "first time", it is better to say that I miss such innocent years and such brotherhood.
I thought the moment when the national flag was raised and the national anthem was played would be the most exciting and unforgettable moment for me, but I didn't expect that there would be more exciting things waiting for us after returning to the station.At someone's suggestion, we unwrapped the Thomas Cup, washed it and poured champagne in celebration.I remember pouring three or four bottles.Because I was the main force, the coach asked me to be the first to drink. Just like that, every member raised it up and took a sip. After turning around, there was still wine in it.The happiness of that night was like this endless wine, and everyone was drunk if the wine was not intoxicating.
In May 2012, the Tangyu Cup was held in China again after 10 years. In the past 10 years, I have gone from a trough to a Grand Slam. I have won 6 soup cups, won 5 consecutive championships, and won my 16th world championship title.
My old friends, like Gade, Taufik, and Li Zongwei, all said that this may be their last Soup Cup. While feeling a little sad, I would also like to thank them for the past 10 years.
When you're young, when you're wearing your national team shirt for your first big game, you can't sleep well because of the excitement.When your grades get better and better, everyone expects you to win all the way, and you will not sleep well because of nervousness.And now, I don't know how many soup cups I can play.I just hope that in the limited time, I can leave as perfect a memory as possible.
The glory remains in the past, and the future is even more promising.
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