(Workers' Daily/Yu Wenguo) |
The Chinese sports circles are well off for inspirational stories about how the stars struggle. The stories of the stars like Yao Ming, Liu Xiang, and Wang Junxia, are incorporated into the middle and primary school textbooks. "Being inspirational" is the main reason why the sports stars' stories are qualified to be part of the textbooks. Appearing in the textbook is both an honor and a spur for sports stars.
It is common both at home and abroad to see sports stars everywhere after they become advertising stars. The large sums they earn easily are desirable and yet pave the way for arrogance. The young stars are ignorant of how to respond to external disturbances. Criticizing them at this time is good for their development.
Guiding stars in their development is not all about preaching. Responsibilities lie with the national teams, local sports officials, coaches, and parents to steer our young sports stars to maturity and keep them away from pitfalls.
According to the Financial Times, media and advertising companies would move on to make another star when a sports star they shaped together falls down. The pattern for the sports idols have been formed to such an extent that the sports journalists or advertisement writers can rush out one within 20 minutes. In other words, the media and advertising companies can continue to make stars. But the stars' lack of self-discipline and self-love opens up possibilities of downgrading from an inspirational idol to a negative example.
Read the Chinese version: “刀锋战士”带来的警示
Source:People's Daily, author: Wang Jisheng