Thailand's women's volleyball team upset top-ranked Japan 3-1 to reach the Tianjin Asian Championship final, with former Chinese volleyball star Feng Kun supporting the side.
Upset! Thailand’s women’s volleyball team defeats top-ranked Japan 3-1 to advance to the final of the Asian Championships in Tianjin
The Thai women’s volleyball team, which had not been favored by observers prior to the tournament, defeated Japan—a powerhouse in Asian volleyball ranked nearly ten places higher than Thailand—by a score of 3–1 in the semifinals, successfully advancing to the final of this year’s Asian Championship in Tianjin.
The moment the final whistle blew, the Thai team members embraced each other and jumped for joy in the center of the court. In the stands, a face all too familiar to Chinese volleyball fans also had tears welling up in her eyes as she shared in the girls’ joy.
That was Feng Kun.
As the starting setter and core player of China’s “Golden Generation” women’s volleyball team, Feng Kun was instrumental in the team’s gold-medal victory at the 2004 Athens Olympics. During the volleyball craze more than two decades ago, fans often pasted clippings of her in action into their notebooks or on their poster walls; she has become a symbol of youth for an entire generation of volleyball fans.After retiring, Feng Kun married renowned Thai volleyball coach Khatipong, and her life has remained closely intertwined with the sport of volleyball ever since.
During this year’s Asian Championship in Tianjin, Feng Kun could be seen courtside at every match played by the Thai women’s volleyball team. Her years of in-depth research into the Chinese women’s volleyball team’s tactical system provided the Thai team with a unique source of insight and support during their preparations.Earlier, when the Thai team posed for a group photo after advancing to the semifinals, the players made a point of placing Feng Kun and Khatipong’s child in the center of the group. The little one, surrounded by teammates with healthy, sun-kissed complexions, beamed with a smile,and the way the entire team carefully looked after the child clearly demonstrated the special standing that Feng Kun’s family holds within the Thai national volleyball team.
While the core of competitive sports is undoubtedly a contest of raw ability, sports themselves have never been defined by national borders. Feng Kun’s decision to share the experience she has accumulated over decades of competing and coaching serves as the most vivid testament to this.The sports arena is never defined solely by victory or defeat; rather, it is the bonds of goodwill that transcend national borders and the human warmth hidden behind the results that truly endure over time.
Domestic volleyball fans have witnessed the development of the Chinese women’s volleyball team over the past few decades, experiencing countless glorious moments on the podium as well as the disappointment of defeats.Few would have imagined that a veteran who was once a key player on the national women’s volleyball team would continue her connection to the sport in this way—that her years of experience in the field would ultimately, across national borders, bring warmth to another group of people who share her passion for volleyball.
The next time you watch a volleyball match, don’t just focus on the score on the scoreboard—the small, heartwarming moments hidden along the sidelines are, in themselves, another aspect of the viewing experience worth savoring.
