By Wang Hao (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-07 07:19

My parents were fascinated by the Water Cube when they watched an international swimming gala, a test event for the Beijing Games.

They proudly posed for photos in front of the crystal-like stadium, and declared it was the best they had ever seen. They were also impressed by the Bird's Nest, and other infrastructure for the Games - metro lines being added seemingly by the month, and the third airport terminal.

But what left a lasting impression were the volunteers. They particularly treasure a photograph taken with a volunteer, Du Yingying, a junior at the University of International Business and Economics.

"She escorted me all the time in the Water Cube. When the event was over, she even told me to stay in the lobby a while longer to brace for the bitter cold outside," my mom said. "I loved her smile."

That visit to the Water Cube might be as close as my parents will get to the Games - but they were touched by the experience with the volunteers.

The concept of volunteering has gained great momentum along with preparations for the 2008 Games. By the end of last year, more than 800,000 people had applied for the 100,000 volunteer positions - a record in the history of the Olympic movement.

Thousands of Chinese, old and young, men and women, are dedicating their time, energy and passion to make the Games a great sporting event.

So impressed by the volunteers was a deputy to the top legislative body that he recommended Beijing erect a monument in their honor.

"Besides the sports facilities, the Beijing Olympic Games should also leave some intangible heritage for the nation," Zhou Hongyu, a lawmaker from Hubei province, said on Monday.

The spirit of the volunteers should be preserved as part of the Olympic heritage, he said, and a monument would encourage more Chinese people to dedicate themselves to volunteer service.

The domestic media gave the thumbs-up to the volunteers, but were none too pleased with the antics of some of the Chinese athletic stars.

An "arrogant" and "impolite" double diving gold medallist came in for some harsh criticism.

A colleague who covered the recent test event told me that the diver used just 20 words to answer four questions during a press conference, all the while fiddling with a jade pendant. Asked about competition, she referred to a foreign athlete in unflattering terms.

There were plenty of complaints about other stars too. When a volunteer told one that the print media would like to meet her for a few minutes, she replied: "Will you drop me home if I miss my bus?"

Some of the medal prospects are brand ambassadors for various high-profile companies; it is time they learnt to be ambassadors for their own country too. I suggest our athletes, especially the prima donnas, take a crash course in good manners.

The Games is not just about gold medals, glamorous stars or stunning venues. It is a celebration that brings people from all over the world to enjoy the best sportspeople can display and the host country can offer.

Stunning venues are essential for an event as huge as this, but it is the people that bring life to the steel-and-concrete structures. The Games is not merely an opportunity for a country to flex its economic and sporting muscles - it is a time to embrace the world with warmth and friendship.

The most important thing about the Games, said Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, is not to win, but to take part.

Young volunteers like Du Yingying embody the true spirit of the Olympics. And for my parents, she will remain the face of the Olympics.

E-mail: wanghao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/07/2008 page9)