Nana Blakime (R) and Jiang Wei in Universiade Village.SD-Agencies
FOR the only athlete representing Togo, Nana Blakime, the Universiade was an opportunity to reunite with a group of Shenzhen volunteers who had helped out in her country.
Dressed in a black-and-gold traditional Chinese jacket, Blakime burst into tears Monday morning, Aug 15, when she saw her Chinese friends at a volunteer service station in the Universiade Village.
“I bought the Chinese jacket in Togo for the meeting with the volunteers in Shenzhen. Although I did not know the meaning of the Chinese characters, I saw phoenixes on it, which is a symbol of Chinese culture,” said Blakime.
Scheduled to compete in the women’s heptathlon today Aug 19, Blakime said it was Jiang Wei, one of the volunteers, who encouraged her to compete in the Universiade.
A physical education teacher at Yantian Foreign Language Primary School, Jiang was one of 20 Shenzhen volunteers who went to Togo in 2009. Jiang worked as an athletics coach at University of Lome in Togo, where Blakime is studying sociology.
While coaching Blakime, Jiang told her about Shenzhen and gave her Universiade promotional pamphlets.
With the help of Jiang and other volunteers, as well as the Chinese embassy in Togo, Blakime received her air tickets to Shenzhen and the visa to enter China, so she could come to the Universiade.
Having trained in athletics for 15 years, Blakime has never received a subsidy from her government and has to work as a part-time body building trainer to pay for regular training.
Jiang said athletes had to pay for their training, food and coaches in Togo. “Blakime is a talented athlete,” said Jiang.
She had won many prizes in athletics in West Africa. She took part in the Universiade in Turkey in 2005.
“This is my last Universiade and I’ll give it my best shot,” said Blakime.
“I visited downtown Shenzhen and took many pictures. I will show the pictures to my friends back in Togo,” she said.
Blakime said she had come to know Shenzhen, as well as China, from volunteers.
“I will go shopping after my competition. My friends wrote me long shopping list,” she said.
( Li Hao)
