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Begging by ex-athlete raises queries of morality and sports system
By Wang Wen, Cui Yuanlei and Ji Shaoting |
July 25, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TEN years ago when Zhang Shangwu made headlines, he was a rising star gymnast, winning two gold medals at the 2001 Summer Universiade in Beijing.
Now he has returned to the spotlight - not with pride and glory but with shame and sadness - reduced to begging after serving a four-year jail term for theft.
After the money-strapped young man was spotted performing stunts at a subway exit in Beijing about a week ago, a microblogger published his story online.
Zhang's story soon stirred heated discussion nationwide: Why did a promising athlete end up begging on street and what went wrong with him and the nation's athletic system?
The 27-year-old applied for retirement in 2003, as a tendon injury prevented him from competing any longer.
With a poor education and few job skills, Zhang originally had planned to pursue further education at one of China's athletics universities. However, he claimed that the Hebei provincial gymnastics team, of which he had been a member, refused to provide the support it had promised him.
Zhang also accused the sports system of failing to care for retired athletes like him, who were trained from a very young age and retired in their 20s without knowledge and skills to support themselves.
"I have no skills to support myself, so I have no choice but to perform gymnastics tricks to earn some money," Zhang, who comes from a broken family, told Xinhua.
However, both the national gymnastics team and the Hebei provincial gymnastics team said Zhang should be responsible for his own future.
Zhang was disqualified from studying at state athletics universities after retirement due to serious violations of team rules, according to an official with the national gymnastics team.
He was sentenced to almost four years in prison in 2007 after he was caught stealing laptops and cellphones from the Beijing Xiannongtan Sports School. Zhang had previously been caught stealing personal belongings from his teammates on many occasions before his retirement.
"I had no income and no food at that time, which prompted me to do wrong things. I know I was wrong," he said.
Zhang's story triggered public debate over the future of retired athletes, particularly those who left with permanent injuries.
Swift changes
Zhang was first seen performing stunts in bustling Wangfujing subway station a few days ago and his pictures were posted online. His appearance was later confirmed by his former Olympic teammate Xing Aowei.
On Sunday, officials from the Hebei Sports Bureau delivered 3,600 yuan (US$556) to Zhang's ailing grandfather, since Zhang had claimed that he was begging to raise money for his grandfather's medical treatment.
Dong Lufeng, the director of the Hebei Sports Bureau, said it was willing to offer Zhang a job as well.
Yang Yang, China's first winter Olympic gold medalist and an International Olympic Committee member, said she was willing to help Zhang with financial support and vocational training.
Why begging?
Born in the city of Baoding in north China's Hebei Province, Zhang started his gymnastics training at the age of 4. He was selected to join the Chinese national gymnastic team in 1995. The highlight of his career was the 2001 Beijing Universiade, in which he won two gold medals. A year later he suffered a tendon injury and was sent back to the Hebei provincial gymnastics team.
After recovering from his injury, Zhang decided to apply for retirement, because he was having conflicts with his provincial team coaches who, he said, insisted that he continue training.
He planned to pursue further education at the country's sports colleges but failed.
Documentation from the Hebei Sports Bureau showed that Zhang violated the team's rules many times and failed to correct his behavior despite repeated admonitions from coaches.
Zhang eventually received compensation of more than 60,000 yuan (US$9,273) when he retired in 2003, instead of taking a job arranged by the Hebei Administration of Sports, said sources from the Chinese national gymnastic team.
Zhang attempted to take up several jobs after retirement but failed to keep any because of his poor education and relative lack of knowledge of the world outside sports.
He even sold his gold medals to make ends meet, letting them go for 210 yuan in 2007.
Who's to blame?
Some people have blamed the country's training system for his current woes, saying that the system does not adequately prepare pro athletes for life after retirement.
However, the Chinese national gymnastic team and several sports insiders see it differently.
"I believe he was initially confident enough to secure a satisfying job, but later found it hard to keep up with society," said Zhang Luping, chief editor of All Sports magazine.
"He didn't plan well for his life after retirement. Both the athletic administration and Zhang should be blamed."
A gymnastics insider who declined to be named told Xinhua it was unfair to blame the athletic system for Zhang's living conditions.
"It is more of a morality issue than a systematic problem. Zhang has to live his own life, rather than relying on others or resting on his laurels," he said.
According to reports last Thursday, Zhang has agreed to receive management skills training with the help of a sports fund.
(The authors are Xinhua writers.)
Now he has returned to the spotlight - not with pride and glory but with shame and sadness - reduced to begging after serving a four-year jail term for theft.
After the money-strapped young man was spotted performing stunts at a subway exit in Beijing about a week ago, a microblogger published his story online.
Zhang's story soon stirred heated discussion nationwide: Why did a promising athlete end up begging on street and what went wrong with him and the nation's athletic system?
The 27-year-old applied for retirement in 2003, as a tendon injury prevented him from competing any longer.
With a poor education and few job skills, Zhang originally had planned to pursue further education at one of China's athletics universities. However, he claimed that the Hebei provincial gymnastics team, of which he had been a member, refused to provide the support it had promised him.
Zhang also accused the sports system of failing to care for retired athletes like him, who were trained from a very young age and retired in their 20s without knowledge and skills to support themselves.
"I have no skills to support myself, so I have no choice but to perform gymnastics tricks to earn some money," Zhang, who comes from a broken family, told Xinhua.
However, both the national gymnastics team and the Hebei provincial gymnastics team said Zhang should be responsible for his own future.
Zhang was disqualified from studying at state athletics universities after retirement due to serious violations of team rules, according to an official with the national gymnastics team.
He was sentenced to almost four years in prison in 2007 after he was caught stealing laptops and cellphones from the Beijing Xiannongtan Sports School. Zhang had previously been caught stealing personal belongings from his teammates on many occasions before his retirement.
"I had no income and no food at that time, which prompted me to do wrong things. I know I was wrong," he said.
Zhang's story triggered public debate over the future of retired athletes, particularly those who left with permanent injuries.
Swift changes
Zhang was first seen performing stunts in bustling Wangfujing subway station a few days ago and his pictures were posted online. His appearance was later confirmed by his former Olympic teammate Xing Aowei.
On Sunday, officials from the Hebei Sports Bureau delivered 3,600 yuan (US$556) to Zhang's ailing grandfather, since Zhang had claimed that he was begging to raise money for his grandfather's medical treatment.
Dong Lufeng, the director of the Hebei Sports Bureau, said it was willing to offer Zhang a job as well.
Yang Yang, China's first winter Olympic gold medalist and an International Olympic Committee member, said she was willing to help Zhang with financial support and vocational training.
Why begging?
Born in the city of Baoding in north China's Hebei Province, Zhang started his gymnastics training at the age of 4. He was selected to join the Chinese national gymnastic team in 1995. The highlight of his career was the 2001 Beijing Universiade, in which he won two gold medals. A year later he suffered a tendon injury and was sent back to the Hebei provincial gymnastics team.
After recovering from his injury, Zhang decided to apply for retirement, because he was having conflicts with his provincial team coaches who, he said, insisted that he continue training.
He planned to pursue further education at the country's sports colleges but failed.
Documentation from the Hebei Sports Bureau showed that Zhang violated the team's rules many times and failed to correct his behavior despite repeated admonitions from coaches.
Zhang eventually received compensation of more than 60,000 yuan (US$9,273) when he retired in 2003, instead of taking a job arranged by the Hebei Administration of Sports, said sources from the Chinese national gymnastic team.
Zhang attempted to take up several jobs after retirement but failed to keep any because of his poor education and relative lack of knowledge of the world outside sports.
He even sold his gold medals to make ends meet, letting them go for 210 yuan in 2007.
Who's to blame?
Some people have blamed the country's training system for his current woes, saying that the system does not adequately prepare pro athletes for life after retirement.
However, the Chinese national gymnastic team and several sports insiders see it differently.
"I believe he was initially confident enough to secure a satisfying job, but later found it hard to keep up with society," said Zhang Luping, chief editor of All Sports magazine.
"He didn't plan well for his life after retirement. Both the athletic administration and Zhang should be blamed."
A gymnastics insider who declined to be named told Xinhua it was unfair to blame the athletic system for Zhang's living conditions.
"It is more of a morality issue than a systematic problem. Zhang has to live his own life, rather than relying on others or resting on his laurels," he said.
According to reports last Thursday, Zhang has agreed to receive management skills training with the help of a sports fund.
(The authors are Xinhua writers.)
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