BEIJING: A Pakistani student who was a performer at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony has shared unique and remarkable memories and said that every performer was beautiful like a snowflake.
Among the 3,000 performers, there was a Pakistani one called Muhammad Wasim Asim, who is a postgraduate at Tsinghua University.
He performed in the ‘Tribute to the People’ part at the opening ceremony, in which Chinese and foreign young people walked shoulder to shoulder, with touching pictures of common people’s living around the world gradually unfolding on the screen on the ground.
Simple, but meaningful, the performance conveyed the message of the Games’ motto ‘Together for a Shared Future’. “Our performance was not merely some pictures displayed on the screen, but in fact it was our deep heart tribute to the people around the world including those who sacrificed their life for saving our lives, like candles that burn themselves and lead the way for others,” Wasim told China Economic Net (CEN).
“Thousands of students applied for a volunteer position when the university opened the application procedure. Everyone was hopeful and excited to be part of the Olympics. The university selected the students by interview and assigned them different volunteer positions according to their interests and abilities,” he added.
According to Wasim, mostly all volunteers started rehearsal as early as in last October. Having been together for a long time, now the performers are like a ‘family’.
“We come from different countries with different cultural backgrounds, but our aim was unanimous, and we became one family who shared same culture and same happiness,” he said. “Every performer is beautiful like a snowflake,” he recalled feelingly.
As one of the few countries in the world to take a zero-COVID strategy, China’s COVID-19 pandemic prevention management for the Olympics attracted worldwide attention.
Witnessed by the Pakistani performer Wasim, the organizing committee did a ‘great job’ for COVID prevention during the whole process in the Bird’s Nest National Stadium.
“To ensure the health of all performers, we were required to do a COVID test every 48 hours, and all of the performers kept sticking to the prevention measures. Even schools make special arrangements to ensure that all performers can do the COVID test within the required time,”he said.
High-techs are also giving full play at the Games. “In the National Stadium, automatic disinfectant machines were placed in every performance hall and also all-around at different entries to ensure safety and health,” Wasim said.
“It is appreciable work done by organizing committee, and the support and coordination by everyone also guaranteed safe and peaceful winter games for each of us,” he appraised.
Wasim has been living in China since 2016. Besides beautiful travelling experience, Chinese people’s hospitality and special love for Pakistanis impressed him a lot.
“After I came to China, I have experienced that people from both countries value the friendship that has come a long way. I’ve made many Chinese friends who have a warm heart feeling for Pak-China friendship. I am proud of my country and our friendship with China.
“We are true brothers. I recommend Pakistani youth to study at world-class universities of China, and here in China, they can start a bright future and become a bridge between the two countries.”ť
Notably, this February, Prime Minister Imran Khan visited China, which promoted the bilateral ties to a new high. “In my country, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has already played a vital role in our infrastructure and economic development. I am hopeful and believe that Sino-Pak ties will get stronger and stronger,” Wasim said.
Now, the Pakistani alpine skier Muhammad Karim is attending the 2022 Winter Olympics. For the only athlete from Pakistan, Wasim hopes he can perform his best, and more importantly, “experience the love, affection and warm heart of the Chinese people”.
“I hope that in the future Pakistan and China can cooperate in winter games development and China can help Pakistan in training more talents of winter games,” he said.
