XXXX AROUND CAMPUS
ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE
The serves and volleys were lightning-fast, but the friendly rivalry between the Barbados and Chinese table tennis players was fittingly indicative of the close relationship between the two countries.
F or decades, China has used table tennis or ping pong, a much-loved sport and an integral part of the country’s culture, as a bridge of friendship. It was no different last April when the Confucius Institute (CI) at the Cave Hill campus capped off its eighth-anniversary celebration by putting on a table tennis showcase that entertained and displayed those close links. The competition and exhibition match featured players at different levels of the game and were the perfect buildup to the final matchup between Barbadian table tennis coach Clifton Mark and visiting Chinese counterpart Wu Cong . Wu Cong was the second Chinese coach assigned to Barbados, after the first had been assigned back in 1979. The skill and experience displayed by the duo excited the scores gathered at the 3Ws Oval of the campus and spurred calls for an encore. Much to their delight, their request was granted. Among those present were Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Barbados, His Excellency Yan Xiusheng ; Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Brazil, Carlos Kessel; Dean of the Faculty of Humanities
and Education, Professor Frederick Ochieng’- Odhiambo ; Co-Directors of the CI, David Bulbulia and Dr. Li Renyan ; and representatives of the Barbados Table Tennis Association . “The Confucius Institute, as a bridge between our two peoples, has also made significant contributions to promoting understanding and friendship between the people of China and Barbados,” said the ambassador. He spoke of the symbolism of the match, the outstanding skill and tenacious spirit displayed by the athletes and urged a deepening of relations between the two countries. “Let us work together to promote not just cultural exchanges between China and Barbados but also bilateral cooperation in key areas, such as infrastructure, food security, medical and health care, and culture and education etcetera, and build an even closer China-Barbados community with a shared future so as to deliver greater benefits to both Chinese and Barbadian people.”
CHILL NEWS 114
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