Sunday, November 19, 2006
Play
Before coming to Hong Kong I was already excited about the prospect of playing table-tennis with a high level of competition. I have not been disappointed and have won and been beaten in many games in the last couple months. Ping pong is actually considered a sport on campus and the university team is very good. The competitors are quite competitive and the games get quite intense. Ping pong encourages strong individual play and is not often played with a partner. Knowing your opponent and his/her strengths and weaknesses is a huge advantage. Although ping pong is a highly visible game played by most students it is not by any means the only game in Hong Kong.
Basketball, soccer, tennis, badminton and squash are all very active sports. Basketball is incredibly popular and the gyms are almost always bustling with aspiring players. With the international popularity of the NBA at an all-time high, the Chinese know of many players and coaches. The basketball games are competitive without doubt, but it seems they do lack some of the fire of basketball games in the states. Trash talk also seems to be a non-existent segment of sports on the surface but under the surface the players are constantly talking to one another and attempting to distract them from the game although it is more discrete than the states. Basketball is a powerful tool to encourage teamwork and strategy. The rules are reliant upon physical restraint on defense and thorough analysis on offense. The game relies on two factions of multiple people working toward and goal and whichever group operates better as a team is the winner.
Other sports are often fairly common and the Hong Kong people as a whole seem fairly active. Soccer (football) is growing in popularity and the locals all follow the European leagues. Prior to my time here in HK I thought of Badminton as a backyard game played by English aristocrats, I was wrong and the better players are very impressive. Every Saturday our warden plays tennis with students and the mood is more relaxed. Handball is less popular and I am still learning the rules as I have only seen a few games during gym class. All these games are team oriented and require joint effort to achieve and common goal.
Although some of the sports listed above lack some of the fire of competitive sports in the US, winning is certainly valued and acknowledged. Trophies are given to the winning college team after the inner-campus tournament and many players don’t make the team due to lack of skill. While playing ping pong hearing a scream or shout is a common occurrence. Hong Kong people do not avoid competition and like to win.
Older people also often frequent the tennis court as well as table tennis halls. The most interesting game played by the older generations is Mahjong. Mahjong is played all over China and Hong Kong is no exception. Middle-aged men and senior citizens alike camp out on the sidewalk for hours and fill halls in order to play Mahjong. Although I am not confident on all the strategy I know enough to observe and maintain interest. Mahjong, from what I have seen in Hong Kong and Beijing, is played exclusively for money. The men playing are extremely intense and the game play is far from lighthearted. Mahjong enforces the idea of patience, planning and virtue. Three of the blocks actually represent benevolence, sincerity, and filial piety.
Sports without passion are only half of what they should be. Working out and running are tools of fitness, sports are the struggle of humans played out in the flesh. Placing kids on sports team encourages many positive aspects of human interaction. Social competence, sharing, collaboration and learning how to lose are all useful experiences for life. On a macro level however sports stars are elevated onto a plane which is likely not healthy for society. While most teens couldn’t recall the names of the Majority Whip or name all the representatives of their state in congress they could rattle off such names as Kobe Bryant, Terrell Owens and Derek Jeter. On a personal basis I think the intensity and teamwork instilled by sports is a valuable asset.
Basketball, soccer, tennis, badminton and squash are all very active sports. Basketball is incredibly popular and the gyms are almost always bustling with aspiring players. With the international popularity of the NBA at an all-time high, the Chinese know of many players and coaches. The basketball games are competitive without doubt, but it seems they do lack some of the fire of basketball games in the states. Trash talk also seems to be a non-existent segment of sports on the surface but under the surface the players are constantly talking to one another and attempting to distract them from the game although it is more discrete than the states. Basketball is a powerful tool to encourage teamwork and strategy. The rules are reliant upon physical restraint on defense and thorough analysis on offense. The game relies on two factions of multiple people working toward and goal and whichever group operates better as a team is the winner.
Other sports are often fairly common and the Hong Kong people as a whole seem fairly active. Soccer (football) is growing in popularity and the locals all follow the European leagues. Prior to my time here in HK I thought of Badminton as a backyard game played by English aristocrats, I was wrong and the better players are very impressive. Every Saturday our warden plays tennis with students and the mood is more relaxed. Handball is less popular and I am still learning the rules as I have only seen a few games during gym class. All these games are team oriented and require joint effort to achieve and common goal.
Although some of the sports listed above lack some of the fire of competitive sports in the US, winning is certainly valued and acknowledged. Trophies are given to the winning college team after the inner-campus tournament and many players don’t make the team due to lack of skill. While playing ping pong hearing a scream or shout is a common occurrence. Hong Kong people do not avoid competition and like to win.
Older people also often frequent the tennis court as well as table tennis halls. The most interesting game played by the older generations is Mahjong. Mahjong is played all over China and Hong Kong is no exception. Middle-aged men and senior citizens alike camp out on the sidewalk for hours and fill halls in order to play Mahjong. Although I am not confident on all the strategy I know enough to observe and maintain interest. Mahjong, from what I have seen in Hong Kong and Beijing, is played exclusively for money. The men playing are extremely intense and the game play is far from lighthearted. Mahjong enforces the idea of patience, planning and virtue. Three of the blocks actually represent benevolence, sincerity, and filial piety.
Sports without passion are only half of what they should be. Working out and running are tools of fitness, sports are the struggle of humans played out in the flesh. Placing kids on sports team encourages many positive aspects of human interaction. Social competence, sharing, collaboration and learning how to lose are all useful experiences for life. On a macro level however sports stars are elevated onto a plane which is likely not healthy for society. While most teens couldn’t recall the names of the Majority Whip or name all the representatives of their state in congress they could rattle off such names as Kobe Bryant, Terrell Owens and Derek Jeter. On a personal basis I think the intensity and teamwork instilled by sports is a valuable asset.
# posted by A. J. Stivers @ 9:13 PM 
