DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, August 4, 2021 | 3 TOP NEWS

Drawing Mahjong, poker wisdom A teacher performs the Kaibi ceremony for a child at a teaching institution in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. A series venues targeted of rituals were performed at the traditional cultural ceremony, including drawing red dots on children’s foreheads to open their “wisdom eye” (a ritual to amid new cases encourage children to study hard), beating drums to awaken Official says 40 patients in Jiangsu’s children’s minds and performing calligraphy. Yangzhou found to have visited sites TAN YUNFENG / FOR CHINA DAILY

By CANG WEI in Nanjing Yangzhou and has had severe ram- [email protected] ifications, according to police. Yangzhou, in the interest of To contain the spread of COVID- timely epidemic intervention, has 19, Jiangsu province has suspend- offered a reward of up to 10,000 ed 45,371 mahjong and poker yuan ($1,550) for information that lounges, the province’s Informa- leads to locating people who tion Office said on Tuesday. played mahjong in three lounges Zhou Minghao, deputy director where people who have confirmed of the provincial health commis- COVID-19 cases had registered. sion, said at a news conference on Anyone reporting a person Tuesday that about 64 percent of playing mahjong in the three the 94 locally transmitted cases lounges will be rewarded 5,000 reported in Yangzhou involved yuan, while an additional 5,000 mahjong enthusiasts, and the rest yuan will be given if the person were their close contacts. who is reported is confirmed to be Chinese delegation first to win Games: On Tuesday, Yangzhou, a popu- infected with the virus. lar tourist city, saw 40 new locally Jiang Yan, a teacher from one of transmitted COVID-19 cases, Yangzhou’s top elementary schools, over 30 golds at Tokyo Olympics Refugee mostly involving elderly mahjong said she was not too optimistic enthusiasts. about the city’s prevention work. By WANG XU in Tokyo later than other people, so I think Wang Zongyuan, with whom he team drives “Most of them are senior people “I don’t think that the virus can and SUN XIAOCHEN in this is a good result for me. Even had earlier partnered to win the age 60 and above,” Zhou said. be contained soon,” she said. “I though this competition is very tir- men’s 3m synchronized diving He said that all those confirmed know that many of the senior peo- China became the first country ing, I’m very happy with this result.” event. motivation to be infected in Yangzhou have ple in Yangzhou don’t take pre- to win more than 30 gold medals at Tang took the early lead with The 25-year-old burst into tears been sent to Nanjing, the provincial ventive measures seriously. Some the Tokyo 2020 Games, as victories 14.233 points for her routine. Biles after his win. From page 1 capital, for treatment, including the of them don’t wear masks, nor do came at the gymnastics venue and moved into second after a clean “It’s really not been easy all these “patient zero” who transmitted the they possess a smartphone that diving pool on Tuesday. and confident routine gained her years,” Xie said. “I feel like all the The refugee team was created by virus from Nanjing to Yangzhou. can allow telecommunications Team China leads the medal 14.000. The American star, who stress and burdens I was carrying the International Olympic Commit- That patient, a 64-year-old companies to trace them. table with 32 golds, 21 silvers and won a team silver medal last were relieved in that moment (of tee to allow athletes to keep compet- woman surnamed Mao, is suspect- “Some even refuse to admit that 16 bronzes, ahead of the United week, has been in the spotlight victory).” ing even if they have been forced to ed of impeding the prevention of they’ve been to mahjong lounges, States with 24 gold, 28 silver and after withdrawing from several On the track, Wang Chunyu leave their home countries. infectious diseases and is under because they are afraid that their 21 bronze medals. individual events, citing mental made history by finishing fifth with The team, also known by its IOC investigation. children might blame them for At the Ariake Gymnastics Cen- health challenges. a personal best of 1 minute 57 sec- code EOR, the abbreviation for the Mao arrived in Yangzhou on going to risky places and bringing tre, Guan Chenchen grabbed her Despite the pressure, Guan onds in the women’s 800m final. It French name Equipe Olympique July 21 from Nanjing, which had the virus home,” Jiang said. first Olympic medal — a gold — in executed her routines to near was the first appearance of a Chi- des Refugies, made its debut at the already banned people in COVID- Zhou, the health official, said that the women’s final. perfection, earning 14.633 points nese woman in a final of the event 2016 Rio Olympics, when 10 athletes 19 risk areas from leaving the city. experts have been sent to Yangzhou, Guan’s teammate Tang Xijing to claim the gold. at the Olympics. competed in the categories of athlet- Without reporting to the commu- Huai’an and Suqian to help with the won silver, while star US gymnast Minutes earlier, Zou Jingyuan Chinese hammer thrower Wang ics, judo and swimming. nity where she lived in Yangzhou, prevention and control work. took the bronze. collected China’s first gold on Tues- Zheng won silver with a throw of This year in Tokyo, the team has Mao frequented many local restau- Health workers across the province At the age of 16, Guan became day at the gymnastics arena when 77.03m in the final, 1.45m behind grown to 29 athletes competing in rants, stores, walk-in clinics, farm will be sent to Yangzhou to help one of the youngest winners of the he won the men’s parallel bars. gold medalist Anita Wlodarczyk 12 sports. product markets and mahjong conduct nucleic acid tests. event after Shawn Johnson from “Although I won a gold medal of Poland. Although Mahmoud did not lounges in the following six days. On Monday, Jiangsu reported 45 the US, who won the balance beam this time, there’s no way I could Sprinter Xie Zhenye, the current make a breakthrough against Indo- She visited a hospital due to cough locally transmitted cases. The at age 16 at the Beijing 2008 Games. have done this on my own. It really Asian record holder in the men’s nesia’s Jonatan Christie, the world’s and fever on July 27 and was con- province has reported 220 locally “I never expected that I would was a worldwide effort to hold the 200m, failed to reach the final seventh-best men’s singles player, he firmed the next day as having Yang- transmitted cases since July 20. get a medal. My coach said, ‘This is Olympics, and so I would like to with a time of 20.45 seconds. Xie is nonetheless proud of his achieve- zhou’s first locally transmitted case of Local authorities reported six cas- your first time in the Olympics and thank everybody who made a con- made history by becoming the first ment. In addition to realizing his COVID-19. However, she still refused es on Monday in Hunan province, no one knows you, so just go ahead tribution toward that,” Zou said. Chinese runner to reach the men’s dream of becoming a world-class to share her travel history when three in Hubei province, two each in and do your best’,” Guan said after In the diving pool, Xie Siyi took 200m semifinals at an Olympics. badminton player, he also had police launched an investigation. Henan and Yunnan provinces, and her victory. his second gold in Tokyo, winning scored 14 points to Christie’s 21 in Mao’s neglect of regulations one each in Beijing, Shanghai and Despite her young age, Guan said: the men’s 3-meter springboard. Contact the writers at their second match at Tokyo’s Mus- resulted in COVID-19 spreading Fujian province, the National Health “I actually started gymnastics much He finished ahead of teammate [email protected] ashino Forest Sport Plaza on July 24. widely in downtown areas of Commission said on Tuesday. “I represent me, I represent my family, I represent my sister,” Mah- moud was quoted by Olympics.com Sport jumps from streets to podium as saying after his match, adding: Stricter virus control rules “I’m playing not only for my country, but for refugees all around the By LI WENFANG in Guangzhou world. We can achieve something — required for aviation sector [email protected] and there are a lot of people who need that motivation to achieve the Once edgy and at the margins of I believe that with unexpected.” By LUO WANGSHU youth culture, skateboarders have Like Mahmoud, who had only [email protected] 3,700 entered the mainstream of sports a better atmosphere limited training, EOR athletes have Number of international cargo and today are Olympic athletes. ... the development not yet clinched a medal at the Airports and airline companies flights that China handles Now in his 40s, Tian Jun has wit- Tokyo Olympics. Nevertheless, their in China will soon be required to every week nessed the growth of the sport in of skateboarding in dedication and determination to carry out stricter epidemic pre- China in recent decades. His par- China will be faster give their best has touched many vention and control protocols, ents gave him his first skateboard in people. after the current COVID-19 out- guidance will also be provided to 1992 when he was 16. It was a and better, be it in the “We are well aware that compared break was found to have spread ground service workers, including reward for performing well in the Olympic Games or to other athletes, we do not have the from cabin cleaners, the industry cabin cleaners, aircraft mainte- senior high school entrance exami- same facilities. We do not have the regulator said on Tuesday. nance workers and porters. nation in Lanzhou, Gansu province. on the street.” same training camps,” said Nigara The Civil Aviation Administration An outbreak started in Nan- To teenage Tian, the board was a Tian Jun, judge in the skate- Shaheen, an Afghan judo athlete on of China will soon issue its eighth jing, Jiangsu province, after a shiny object of wonder with glass- boarding competition at the the EOR team. “But it still didn’t kill guideline on epidemic prevention group of cabin cleaners at Nan- smooth wheels ready to unleash Tokyo Olympics our spirit. Next time we will come and control, Han Guangzu, deputy jing Lukou International Airport gravity-defying feats. He said it Tian Jun from China is the sole back stronger.” head of the administration’s flight tested positive for COVID-19 on didn’t take him long to master it. Asian judge of the street skate- On his message to refugees standards department, said in an July 20. It was later found that Some 30 years later, he served as boarding event at the Tokyo will join city, provincial or national around the world, Javad Mahjoub, online news conference on Tuesday. they contracted the virus while a judge in the skateboarding com- Olympics. Provided to China Daily teams. Then we will have a com- who left Iran for Canada and is Han said stricter “closed-cir- cleaning an airplane. petition at the Tokyo Olympics, plete industry.” another EOR judo competitor, said: cuit” measures for front-line air- An investigation found that the drawing on his experience as a rider In 2018, Tian judged his first “If you’re a refugee, you have a life port and airline workers will be workers failed to obey sanitation and skateboard shop owner. quit his job to spend more time on international event at the 18th that is too hard. But to any refugees, introduced, which could result in and change-of-clothing protocols, “I feel lucky and proud to be able skateboarding. Asian Roller Skating Champion- I say, never forget your dream. If you them spending time in quarantine which resulted in the virus being to connect at the Olympic level “My family opposed it,” he said. ship in Namwon, South Korea, in lose your dream, you lose your life.” and being kept from their families. transmitted to other staff members. representing China’s skateboard- “They felt skateboarding was not a 2018. The next year he was invited Filippo Grandi, head of the Unit- Front-line aviation workers will A total of 327 confirmed cases in ers,” he said over the phone from a regular business back then. They by World Skate, the sport’s govern- ed Nations High Commissioner for also be required to undergo more the province have been linked to quarantine hotel in Guangzhou, thought I was crazy.” ing body, to judge an Olympic Refugees, said, “Surviving war, per- frequent nucleic acid testing, he said. the Nanjing airport, officials said at Guangdong province, following Tian’s family finally accepted his qualification point race. In May, he secution and the anxiety of exile Airline crews entering China will a news conference on the province’s his return from Tokyo. decision and some relatives was authorized as a skateboard already makes them extraordinary also be subjected to tighter isolation epidemic control work on Tuesday. After high school, Tian picked helped him at the shop. This gave judge for the Tokyo Olympics, the people, but the fact that they now and health monitoring measures. Han said two experts from the English as his major at a university him more time to attend skate- only one from Asia at the Games. also excel as athletes on the world Civil aviation regulators at all administration were sent to the air- in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, as he boarding events across the coun- A fully developed skateboard- stage fills me with immense pride.” levels will strengthen inspections port to conduct an investigation. On figured it would make it easier to try, judging competitions and ing industry is now emerging in In a message to the refugee ath- to ensure airline companies and July 22, the administration released read magazines and watch videos sponsoring riders when the sport China, and a new generation of letes at the opening ceremony, IOC airports strictly follow the health a notice requiring all front-line about skateboarding. was undergoing commercial parents is more accepting of the President Thomas Bach couldn’t guidelines, Han said. workers to have nucleic acid tests as In 1995, before starting universi- development in China. sport, Tian said. But more pro- hide his pride in having a refugee Tougher protocols for suspension soon as possible. ty, he entered a national skate- In August 2016, skateboarding motion is needed. team. of international flights will also be On Saturday, the administration boarding contest in Qinhuangdao, rose to national prominence after it “I believe that with a better “With your talent and human introduced, he said. China currently increased the frequency of the test- Hebei province. “There were only was confirmed as an Olympic sport atmosphere — from the perspective spirit, you are demonstrating what handles about 230 international ing by ordering key front-line about 100 contestants from across and scheduled to make its debut at of the government, commercial an enrichment refugees are for soci- passenger flights a week, about 2 workers to have a nucleic acid test the country,” he said. “We were the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The next development and the passion of the ety,” Bach said. “You had to flee from percent of the volume handled in every two days. there for fun. It was not a standard year, Tian was the head judge of the athletes — the development of your homes because of violence, 2019. There are about 3,700 interna- Workers who have had direct con- contest. We were all teenagers. We skateboard competition at the skateboarding in China will be fast- hunger or just because you were dif- tional cargo flights every week, 2.5 tact with international passengers met many new friends. Some of National Games in Nanjing. er and better, be it in the Olympic ferent. Today, we welcome you with times more than in 2019. and cargo are required to be kept them are still in this field.” Tian launched his first training Games or on the street,” he said. open arms and offer you a peaceful The administration will cooper- separate from those who work with After graduation, Tian got a job school in 2018, and he now has Chinese rider Zhang Xin will home. Welcome to our Olympic ate with other departments to domestic passengers and cargo. in Guangzhou, but he often eight. “Such schools allow young compete in the women’s park skate- community.” evaluate the standards and effec- Both groups are not allowed to have thought about running a skate- people to learn in a standardized boarding event on Wednesday. tiveness of quarantine measures contact with their family members board shop. In 2006, he opened a way to help sustain their passion. If Contact the writers at for arriving aircraft. More medical or outsiders during work hours. shop in Guangzhou and eventually they can become professional, they Wu Yiying contributed to this story. [email protected]