Chapter 133: National Team Experience
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jinrong Hu was the head coach of the long jump group for the national track and field team. He had been an outstanding athlete himself when he was young. He broke the national record for long jump, won gold medals in the Asian Games and Asian Champions.h.i.+p, and was once regarded as the No. 1 long jumper in Asia.
After retiring, Jinrong Hu transitioned into a coaching career. He trained a few outstanding athletes, and more than one of them achieved a level A ranking for the Olympics. For an Asian athlete, qualifying for Olympic level A was a rare and commendable achievement.
This time, it was indeed Jinrong Hu who had come to Qingcheng. He had heard about a genius athlete who had jumped 7.84 meters at the age of 16, and broken the national U16 record. Without hesitation, he had decided to come for a visit himself.
A grand reception was held upon Jinrong Hu"s arrival to Qingcheng. These days, even a low-ranking official from a national ministry would have been received as a high official at local branches. Jinrong Hu was a renowned head coach for the national team. When he visited a provincial youth team, he would receive more attention than a chief of a provincial sports bureau.
"Warm Welcome to National Team Coach Group for Visiting and Instructing Us"
Bin Lu stared at the scrolling red banner hung up high in the air, determined to send Haiquan Fang to the national team.
I have been the head coach of the youth team for so many years, but this is the first time I will be able to send an athlete to the national team! Thinking about this, Bin Lu shouted to the newly a.s.sembled welcome team at the top of his voice, "Cheer up guys! The national team crew is arriving soon!"
Once Bin Lu said this, a minibus drove by slowly. It was a bus from the provincial sports bureau. Although the national team coach had come for Haiquan Fang, the provincial sports bureau was the first organization to be welcomed.
"Here they are!" Bin Lu was the first to greet everyone. The minibus stopped, and the door opened. The provincial sports bureau officials got out of the bus first. Then came Jinrong Hu.
"That is Coach Hu. He has gained weight since his younger days," an elder coach said.
"You know Coach Hu?" a younger coach asked.
"I know him, but he does not know me. I remember twenty years ago when Coach Hu won the long jump champions.h.i.+p in the Asian Games. The newspaper used three pages to cover his story," the elder coach replied.
"Look, a national team coach is full of swagger. Look at his radiance. I"m such a dinosaur compared to him!" someone else muttered.
"Of course, he is a renowned coach for the national team. I do not think I have a chance to coach on a national team for the rest of my life!"
"You guys are too old to join the national team. They will not take old birds like us. I think Dai Li is the only one on our team who may have a chance!"
The topic of conversation automatically s.h.i.+fted to Dai Li. When Xuexi Zhuang heard the conversation, he became furious again.
The long jump team was mine! It should have been my glory! Xuexi Zhuang was still upset about his history with the long jump team. Not far from him, Bin Lu and Jinrong Hu exchanged a few kind words. Bin Lu introduced Jinrong Hu to his two deputies, then summoned Dai Li upfront.
"This is Dai Li, coach of our long jump team. Haiquan Fang has always been trained under Dai Li," Bin Lu introduced.
The national team was here to check Haiquan Fang out. As Haiquan Fang"s coach, Dai Li garnered attention as well. During the inspection of the national team, they would surely be presented with the training, and observe the daily training of Haiquan Fang. Dai Li played a major role in both events.
"Isn"t this Dai Li?" Jinrong Hu recognized Dai Li right away.
Jinrong Hu already knew Dai Li, as Dai Li had temporarily transferred to the Beikou Training Center for a while last year. Jinrong Hu had happened to be at the Beikou base during the same time.
For most temporarily transferred personnel, Jinrong Hu may not have paid attention, or would have forgotten about them already. But Dai Li was different. On his first day after transferring, he was personally appointed by Feixiang Lin. From that moment on, Jinrong Hu had paid special attention to Dai Li.
Towards the end of the three-month transfer period, the other transferred personnel had already left. But Dai Li had been requested to stay an additional month. Because of this, Jinrong Hu was impressed with Dai Li, and remembered him. This "remembrance," however, was no more than a shallow impression. All he remembered was the temporarily transferred staff who had stayed one more month was named "Li" by the others, and nothing more.
"Mr. Hu, we have met again." Dai Li shook Jinrong Hu"s hand with a smile.
"They know each other! Dai Li knows Coach Hu from the national team!"
The others had a surprised expression on their faces. Jinrong Hu was a reputable coach on the national team, while Dai Li was a mere provincial youth team coach. There were too many gaps between them, and yet their paths had crossed once before.
Even Bin Lu was struck with surprise. He stared at Dai Li secretly, thinking, You know Coach Hu already. Why didn"t you tell me? It is always easier to get things done if you have a common acquaintance.
Jinrong Hu felt the surprise of the people surrounding him, and explained, "Dai Li once worked for the national team for a while. He did a good job, and did not waste his time during the few months with the national team. Now it seems that he has only been away from the national team for less than a year, and has already trained a genius athlete! A genius athlete who broke the U16 national record in long jump, no less."
As Jinrong Hu spoke, his eyes were glistening with pride, as if he was telling everybody "Do you see how good our national team is? When an ordinary coach gets a temporary transfer and serves a few months on the national team, then goes back to his old position, he can train someone to break the national record!"
"Dai Li once stayed with the national team?"
"Impressive! I have been coaching for over a decade and have never seen the front door of the national team!"
"No wonder this Dai Li is so good at training. When he was with the shot put team, the shot put team was great. Now he is with the long jump team, and the long jump team rocks. Turns out he received further education from the national team!"
"No wonder Dai Li is capable of putting everything together at such a young age. He served on the national team."
The other coaches of the youth team did not know about Dai Li"s transfer to the national team. So naturally, after Jinrong Hu told his story, they gave Dai Li more respect. Right now, the national team experience was making Dai Li s.h.i.+ne.
They certainly did not know that the temporary transfer that Dai Li had done was for odd-jobs. Jinrong Hu knew that Dai Li was only an odd-job worker, but had chosen not to reveal it to anyone. Instead, by making Dai Li look good, he made the national team look good too.
Bin Lu suddenly remembered that Dai Li"s resume had mentioned his temporary transfer to the national team. But Bin Lu had not paid attention back then. Most people would give a resume a second look in most cases. But the actual ability was reflected in daily training anyway. Because of this, Bin Lu had forgotten about this matter shortly after.
But now it appeared that during Dai Li"s transfer he had done a great job. Jinrong Hu was able to recognize him right away. After pondering this, Bin Lu was suddenly more impressed by Dai Li.
Nonetheless, someone did not think that it was a big deal, however.
Odd-job worker at the national team, is it even worth boasting? Xuexi Zhuang showed even more contempt on his face, yet jealousy was burning in his heart.
Let"s wait and see. If I get a chance, I will join the national team too! Xuexi Zhuang thought secretly.
When the official from the sports bureau, who was accompanying Jinrong Hu, heard that Dai Li had once stayed with the national team, he looked amazed too, and uttered to Bin Lu, "Coach Lu, your team is full of hidden talents! Coach Li is able to train a genius athlete at such a young age. It turns out that he studied with the national team. I believe Dai Li learned a great deal from Coach Hu on the national team. He is the student of a renowned teacher!"
The official looked at Jinrong Hu while speaking, hinting to everyone that Jinrong Hu was that "renowned teacher." It was clearly a move to try and flatter Jinrong Hu in an attempt to make him look greater.
Jinrong Hu chuckled, "I"m not capable of that. Dai Li was not with me on the national team."
When Xuexi Zhuang heard this, he laughed. He had a sneer on his face.
"I knew this a long time ago. Dai Li was only an odd-job worker on the national team. What makes him qualified to follow Coach Hu?" Xuexi Zhuang spoke in a low voice. Although it did not travel far, the people around him heard every word.
But the next second, Jinrong Hu continued, "When Dai Li was on the national team, he was following Coach Ding!"
Jinrong Hu was concerned that they did not know who "Coach Ding" was, so he added, "Coach Jihai Ding, that is!"
Xuexi Zhuang"s laugh vanished. He suddenly felt as if his face had been slapped again!