NANSHAN District has awarded 1 million yuan (US$154,800) to recognize and praise Shenzhen Univsersity (SZU) athletes’ outstanding performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Nanshan District Committee of the CPC and the Nanshan District Government also sent a congratulatory letter, which was conveyed to SZU by Lian Cong, vice head of the district government, Monday.

“The Olympics is a competition between the world’s top athletes. Winning a medal is impossible without arduous exercises,” the congratulatory letter reads. “The achievements present SZU’s glory, show the school’s spirit of self-reliance, self-discipline, self-improvement, as well as highlight Nanshan athletes’ excellent qualities. Nanshan is proud of you!”

During a meeting with SZU officials, Lian said that the district authorities and SZU have jointly pushed ahead with the development of Nanshan’s sports industry. He calls for comprehensive and in-depth cooperation with SZU in areas of cultural and artistic events, research, and the development planning for children and women in the coming decades.

Fan Zhigang, SZU’s deputy Party chief, praised SZU athletes’ excellence and was grateful for the continuous support and assistance from the Nanshan government and Shenzhen Municipal Government.

SZU atheletes won two gold and two silver medals at this year’s Tokyo Games. Yang Junxuan and Tang Muhan joined their teammates in breaking the world record to win gold in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay Thursday, which is the first gold medal the Chinese have won in the category.

Chen Meng, an SZU graduate, overpowered compatriot Sun Yingsha, also a member of the Table Tennis Club of Shenzhen University, in the women’s singles final on the night of the same day. Sun won the silver medal.

On Saturday, Yang and her teammates won a silver medal on the men’s and women’s 4x100m medley relay.

Tang Yucheng, vice dean of SZU’s Faculty of Physical Education, said that SZU has developed a mechanism for the training of high-level athletes over the years. The university also has very high enrollment requirements, according to the vice dean. “In the Class of 2020 athletic training program, 13 students, including Yang, used to be provincial champions before they were admitted to SZU,” Tang said. (Xia Yuanjie)