致
福建省南安市委書記、
福建省南安市人民政府市長、
福建省南安市體育总会會長:
您好!
這是我對南安市最負盛名體育賽事 - 鄭成功杯國際籃球邀請賽的點點回憶。
到底鄭成功是誰?鄭成功是中國的民族英雄。早在1700年,或350年前,鄭成功將軍率領軍隊,趕走在當時已佔領台灣的野蠻海盜。
鄭成功出生在福建省南安。直到今天,人們仍然以他的名字命名籃球賽事,來表達對他的尊崇與懷念。
早在1985年當南安仍然是福建省一個小市鎮時,便已舉辦了這比賽。當時廈門機場是進入南安市和通往其他中國境內,無論是北京還是上海的唯一港口。
我的弟弟林劍陵於1985年10月代表菲律賓參加了首屆比賽。由於缺乏資金,我無法陪他參加。
據我弟弟說,我們的團隊受到了熱烈的歡迎,儘管體育場是粘土所建,側庭區灰塵很大,但場內依然人山人海。
有趣的是,我的家祖家就在南安。當時我的奶奶還活著。她在香港定居,但她為了看望孫子林劍陵,她決定返回家鄉住一段時間。
如果我沒記錯的話,我奶奶在1986年初去世。
當我還在香港的時候,我經常探望奶奶。我通常會在她家睡一晚。她還為我做了兩個水煮蛋的糖水作早餐。
到現在為止,我還在想念我的奶奶,有時候感覺好像她還在身邊。對於同樣出生在南安的爺爺和爸爸,我也有同樣的感覺。
1986年,我與球隊前往南安參加第二屆鄭成功國際籃球邀請賽。當時10月份的天氣已經很冷了。因為當時沒有酒店,我們住在一個宿舍裡,而大多數用大理石和粘土建造的房子都很舊。
南安是以大理石著名的。因此,大多數房屋是由大理石建成。甚至連道路也是大理石沙建成。這些全是由南安的普通工人所建造,他們用辛勞來換取他們的糧食。
當時,我是戴良聰教練旗下的球員,戴良聰教練是菲律賓第一位與南安市體育总会會會長呂聯皆先生建立溝通與聯繫的人。呂聯皆是70年代退役的陸軍軍官。
呂聯皆與當時還擔任菲律賓國家女子籃球隊主教練的戴良聰經常接觸。呂聯皆在戴良聰訪問南安的時候,想出了一個計劃,要邀請菲律賓男隊赴南安參加1985年第一屆鄭成功杯。
一年後的這計劃變成了事實。也因為呂聯皆與戴良聰之間的協議,讓我有機會探望我的祖家。
成立於1984年的南安市體育总会,目前大多數元老都已經離開了崗位,或已經過世。據我所知,只有兩個僅存的元老,其中一位就是年屆75歲的呂聯皆。三十年來,對我來說,他一直像是父親般的人物。
在1986年,南安對進口洋酒和香煙的巨大需求。很多人想通過球隊購買這些被帶進口的奢侈品。而我也幸運地在這些交易中賺了一些錢。
許多當地人也願意購買我們的美元,我也順便當了經紀人。
作為一個年輕人,那是我做生意的第一次興奮經歷。
當時在南安吃東西是那麼的便宜。我在路邊餐館吃炒麵,只花了大約一元人民幣。一份炒麵足夠兩個人吃。
這些都是令我難忘的經歷,至今還難以忘懷。我愛我的家鄉,因此多年來我經常回家鄉看望。
至今為止,我都經常回去探望老朋友呂先生,即使他早已退休下崗。
另一位一直支持鄭成功杯的菲律賓人物是戴亞明先生。
戴亞明先生付出他的時間和精力,致力推動菲律賓參與這賽事。
同樣來自南安的戴亞明先生,自上世紀90年代初以來便參與籃球活動。
在菲律賓參與鄭成功杯的大多數比賽中,戴亞明先生都擔起舉足輕重的角色。
在過去八屆杯賽中,我們共贏得了兩屆冠軍,一次在1999年,另一次在2002年再度蟬聯冠軍。
如果沒有戴亞明先生的支持,我們可能不會有機會爭奪冠軍。
我回想起這些事件,部分原因是因為我懷念過去鄭成功杯的比賽中,與來自新加坡、台灣、香港、印尼、澳門、馬來西亞和菲律賓的隊友們所培養起來的感情和友誼。
我彷彿還看到位於鼓浪嶼海邊鄭成功像的雄姿。在沿進入南安的婦路上,甚至從廣州市沿山區公路線上也可以看到這風景。
在廈門市的海邊,鄭成功的氣勢守衛著中國的港口,防範海盜的入侵。
可惜的是,當地政府不再熱衷於讓南安舉辦鄭成功杯了。
在這艱難時期,大家都熱衷於企業、政治、文化娛樂的活動。體育賽事似乎已經被拋在後面。
不過,南安曾因為舉辦過鄭成功杯,在20世紀80年代名振一時。
許多在國外生活的南安祖籍華人,因為這籃球比賽而回到他們的出生地。這促成了不少海外華人衣錦還鄉潮。
最後的一次鄭成功杯籃球邀請賽於2012年5月舉行,我帶了我的妻子和我的孩子們觀看比賽。
我開始覺得,當地的百姓也不再熱衷於觀看比賽了,而只是忙於他們的日常生活。
現在,南安人對待鄭成功的態度令我很擔心和失望。這位300多年前以其軍事成就給這座城市帶來榮譽的不朽英雄,因為要紀念他的豐功偉業而舉辦的體育活動,到今時今日竟然冷漠對待,也沒有人感興趣了。
雖然我出生在菲律賓,但我身上流的是中國人的血液。我愛中國,厭惡我們過去歷史各個王朝不斷遭受到外敵的入侵,國家受到洗劫,直到孫中山先生解放中國。
我衷心地請求南安政府再次組織鄭成功杯,通過體育喚醒民族意識,振興地方鄉親,讓他們記住他們的本土英雄。
海外華人肯定期待以這次活動而再次衣錦還鄉。
願民族主義和愛國主義永存在南安人們心中!
順頌
時祺!
菲律賓籃球協會秘書長/
菲律賓學校體育協會聯合會秘書長/
南安市華僑體育會副會長 林剛陵 啟
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Nanan City's Zheng Cheng Gong
By: Graham C. Lim 林剛陵
To:
The Secretary of Nanan City Government, Fujian Province
The Mayor of Nanan City Government, Fujian Province
The Nanan City Sports Council, Fujian Province
From:
Graham Chua Lim
Secretary General, Basketball Association of the Philippines
(BAP or www.baplink.com);
Secretary General, Federation of School Sports Association of the
Philippines (FESSAP or www.fessap.net);
Vice Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Nanan City Sports Council;
Dear Sirs/Madams:
Good day to everyone!
Here’s my recollection of the most prestigious sports event held in Nanan City – the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup International Invitational Basketball Tournament, which has been held biennially or if not every four years.
Who exactly is Zheng Cheng Gong? Zheng is a national hero of China. Back in the 1700s, or 350 years ago, General Zheng led an army to drive away the barbaric Vikings who had occupied Taiwan at the time.
General Zheng Cheng Gong was born in municipality of Nanan (now city), Fujian Province. Until today, he is still being honored by way of a basketball tournament, Zheng Cheng Gong Cup, named after him.
The tournament was introduced in 1985 in Nanan when it was still a small municipality of the Fujian Province. The Xiamen airports has been the port of entry to Nanan municipal and the gateway to everywhere else inside China, whether it be Beijing or Shanghai.
My younger brother McNeil Lim took part in the inaugural tournament in October 1985 and represented the Philippines. Due to financial constraints, I was unable to accompany him.
According to McNeil, our team received a warm welcome and the stadium was jampacked even if it was made of clay and very dusty in the side-court area.
Interestingly, the family’s ancestral home is located in Nanan. At the time, my Grandmother was still alive. She used to live in Hong Kong but decided to return just long enough to see her grandchild, McNeil.
If my memory serves me right, my grandma died in early 1986.
On many occasions, I had visited grandma in Hong Kong when I happen to be there. I usually would sleep for a night in her abode. She would serve breakfast of two boiled eggs in a soup dish marinated with sugar.
Until now, I miss my grandma until today and at times, feel as if she was still around. I feel the same for grandpa and my father, who also were born in Nanan.
In 1986, I was with the team to visit Nanan for the 2nd Zheng Cheng Gong International Invitational Basketball Tournament. It was in October of that year when the weather was cold already. We lived in a dormitory since there was no hotel at the time and most houses were old and made of marble and clay.
Nanan was known for its marble mountains. Thus most houses were made of marble. Even the roads were made of grain marble. They were built by common workers from Nanan who got a decent payment, mostly to buy food, in exchange for their work.
At that time, I was a player under coach Modesto Teh, the first person to communicate and establish contact with Nanan City Sports Council headed by Mr. Lu Lian Jia, a retired Army man during the 1970s.
Lu was in close contact with Teh, who was then the head coach of the Philippine national women’s basketball team. The Nanan visited by Teh gave Lu Lian Jie the opportunity to work out a plan to have a Philippine men’s team to play in Nanan in the 1st Zheng Cheng Gong Cup in 1985.
A year later the plan became a reality. The agreement between Teh and Lu paved the way for my visit to my ancestral home.
At present, most of the old guards of Nanan City Sport Council, which was established in 1984, have already left their posts or have died. From what I know, there are only two surviving old guards and one of them is Mr. Lu Lian Jie, who is now around 75 years old and has been a father figure to me for the past three decades.
In 1986, there was a huge demand for imported wine liquor and cigarettes in Nanan. Many people wanted to buy such expensive items that were brought in by then team. On the side, I made some money out of the trade.
Many also would want to buy our American dollars and I acted as negotiator.
As a young man, it was thrilling to have my first experience with business in my home town China.
Food prices in Nanan were so cheap. I would eat fried noodles at the roadside eatery and it would only coast me around one yuan (or six pesos in Philippine currency today). For one order, the noodles could accommodate two people.
It was a fascinating experience that I cherish until now. I love my home town so much so I have visited it various times through the years.
Until today, I regular visit my old friend, Lu, even if he has long retired as a government employee.
Another personage from the Philippines who has been supportive of the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup is Alvin Tai Lian.
Tai Lian has dedicated his time and effort for the Philippine participation to the games.
Tai Lian, who hails from Nanan City, has been a part of this prestigious basketball event since the early 1990s.
Tai Lian has been the godfather of the Philippines’ participation in most Zheng Cheng Gong Cup tournaments in the past.
Out of eight previous editions, we have been able to win two titles – one in 1999 and the other in 2002 – in back-to-back fashion.
Without the personal support of Tai Lian, we might not have had the opportunity to contend for the championship.
I am recalling these events partly because I missed the friendship and camaraderie that were fostered during past editions of the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup when teams from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia and the Philippines come to play in Nanan.
I still see the glory of the tall stature of Zheng Cheng Gong that is located at the main road, an astonishing scenery that can also be seen in entering Nanan and can also be viewed as far as from a small mountain along the highway in the city of Quanzhou, Fujian province.
From the seaside of Xiamen City, too, an imposing stature of Zheng Cheng Gong guarding the pirates against entering the China seaport can be seen as well.
Sadly, the local government is no longer keen in allowing Nanan to organize the Zheng Cheng Gong cup anymore or has shown little interest in doing so.
Times are hard and focus has been on activities that involve businesses, politics, or cultural entertainments. Sports events seem to have been left behind.
Still, Nanan became well known in the 1980s because of the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup.
Many Chinese living abroad who call Nanan home have returned to their land of birth because of the basketball tournament. It was a homecoming of sorts for the overseas Chinese.
The most recent Zheng Cheng Gong Cup basketball invitational was held in May 2012. At the time, I brought along my wife and my children to watch the event.
I began to feel that ordinary folks there were no longer keen in watching the games anymore and were simply busy with their daily life.
Now, I am really concerned and disappointed with the way the people in Nanan have treated the Zheng Cheng Gong. There is much indifference as no one seems interested anymore in organizing the event that was established to immortalize the man who brought honor to the city with his military successes more than 350 years ago.
Though I was born in the Philippines, there is much Chinese blood in me. I love China and dislike our historical past from one dynasty to another to invasions by foreign countries that ransacked the country’s treasures to the time Dr. Sun Yat-Sen liberated China.
I humbly ask the government of Nanan to organize the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup once more to revitalize the local folks through sports and in a nationalistic sense, make sure they remember their local hero.
Even the overseas Chinese surely look forward to this event as a homecoming of sorts.
May nationalism and patriotism always reign among the people in Nanan!
Graham Chua Lim 林剛陵
303 Escolta Street, Noah’s Ark Building,
Manila, Philippines 1003
E-mail: [email protected]
福建省南安市委書記、
福建省南安市人民政府市長、
福建省南安市體育总会會長:
您好!
這是我對南安市最負盛名體育賽事 - 鄭成功杯國際籃球邀請賽的點點回憶。
到底鄭成功是誰?鄭成功是中國的民族英雄。早在1700年,或350年前,鄭成功將軍率領軍隊,趕走在當時已佔領台灣的野蠻海盜。
鄭成功出生在福建省南安。直到今天,人們仍然以他的名字命名籃球賽事,來表達對他的尊崇與懷念。
早在1985年當南安仍然是福建省一個小市鎮時,便已舉辦了這比賽。當時廈門機場是進入南安市和通往其他中國境內,無論是北京還是上海的唯一港口。
我的弟弟林劍陵於1985年10月代表菲律賓參加了首屆比賽。由於缺乏資金,我無法陪他參加。
據我弟弟說,我們的團隊受到了熱烈的歡迎,儘管體育場是粘土所建,側庭區灰塵很大,但場內依然人山人海。
有趣的是,我的家祖家就在南安。當時我的奶奶還活著。她在香港定居,但她為了看望孫子林劍陵,她決定返回家鄉住一段時間。
如果我沒記錯的話,我奶奶在1986年初去世。
當我還在香港的時候,我經常探望奶奶。我通常會在她家睡一晚。她還為我做了兩個水煮蛋的糖水作早餐。
到現在為止,我還在想念我的奶奶,有時候感覺好像她還在身邊。對於同樣出生在南安的爺爺和爸爸,我也有同樣的感覺。
1986年,我與球隊前往南安參加第二屆鄭成功國際籃球邀請賽。當時10月份的天氣已經很冷了。因為當時沒有酒店,我們住在一個宿舍裡,而大多數用大理石和粘土建造的房子都很舊。
南安是以大理石著名的。因此,大多數房屋是由大理石建成。甚至連道路也是大理石沙建成。這些全是由南安的普通工人所建造,他們用辛勞來換取他們的糧食。
當時,我是戴良聰教練旗下的球員,戴良聰教練是菲律賓第一位與南安市體育总会會會長呂聯皆先生建立溝通與聯繫的人。呂聯皆是70年代退役的陸軍軍官。
呂聯皆與當時還擔任菲律賓國家女子籃球隊主教練的戴良聰經常接觸。呂聯皆在戴良聰訪問南安的時候,想出了一個計劃,要邀請菲律賓男隊赴南安參加1985年第一屆鄭成功杯。
一年後的這計劃變成了事實。也因為呂聯皆與戴良聰之間的協議,讓我有機會探望我的祖家。
成立於1984年的南安市體育总会,目前大多數元老都已經離開了崗位,或已經過世。據我所知,只有兩個僅存的元老,其中一位就是年屆75歲的呂聯皆。三十年來,對我來說,他一直像是父親般的人物。
在1986年,南安對進口洋酒和香煙的巨大需求。很多人想通過球隊購買這些被帶進口的奢侈品。而我也幸運地在這些交易中賺了一些錢。
許多當地人也願意購買我們的美元,我也順便當了經紀人。
作為一個年輕人,那是我做生意的第一次興奮經歷。
當時在南安吃東西是那麼的便宜。我在路邊餐館吃炒麵,只花了大約一元人民幣。一份炒麵足夠兩個人吃。
這些都是令我難忘的經歷,至今還難以忘懷。我愛我的家鄉,因此多年來我經常回家鄉看望。
至今為止,我都經常回去探望老朋友呂先生,即使他早已退休下崗。
另一位一直支持鄭成功杯的菲律賓人物是戴亞明先生。
戴亞明先生付出他的時間和精力,致力推動菲律賓參與這賽事。
同樣來自南安的戴亞明先生,自上世紀90年代初以來便參與籃球活動。
在菲律賓參與鄭成功杯的大多數比賽中,戴亞明先生都擔起舉足輕重的角色。
在過去八屆杯賽中,我們共贏得了兩屆冠軍,一次在1999年,另一次在2002年再度蟬聯冠軍。
如果沒有戴亞明先生的支持,我們可能不會有機會爭奪冠軍。
我回想起這些事件,部分原因是因為我懷念過去鄭成功杯的比賽中,與來自新加坡、台灣、香港、印尼、澳門、馬來西亞和菲律賓的隊友們所培養起來的感情和友誼。
我彷彿還看到位於鼓浪嶼海邊鄭成功像的雄姿。在沿進入南安的婦路上,甚至從廣州市沿山區公路線上也可以看到這風景。
在廈門市的海邊,鄭成功的氣勢守衛著中國的港口,防範海盜的入侵。
可惜的是,當地政府不再熱衷於讓南安舉辦鄭成功杯了。
在這艱難時期,大家都熱衷於企業、政治、文化娛樂的活動。體育賽事似乎已經被拋在後面。
不過,南安曾因為舉辦過鄭成功杯,在20世紀80年代名振一時。
許多在國外生活的南安祖籍華人,因為這籃球比賽而回到他們的出生地。這促成了不少海外華人衣錦還鄉潮。
最後的一次鄭成功杯籃球邀請賽於2012年5月舉行,我帶了我的妻子和我的孩子們觀看比賽。
我開始覺得,當地的百姓也不再熱衷於觀看比賽了,而只是忙於他們的日常生活。
現在,南安人對待鄭成功的態度令我很擔心和失望。這位300多年前以其軍事成就給這座城市帶來榮譽的不朽英雄,因為要紀念他的豐功偉業而舉辦的體育活動,到今時今日竟然冷漠對待,也沒有人感興趣了。
雖然我出生在菲律賓,但我身上流的是中國人的血液。我愛中國,厭惡我們過去歷史各個王朝不斷遭受到外敵的入侵,國家受到洗劫,直到孫中山先生解放中國。
我衷心地請求南安政府再次組織鄭成功杯,通過體育喚醒民族意識,振興地方鄉親,讓他們記住他們的本土英雄。
海外華人肯定期待以這次活動而再次衣錦還鄉。
願民族主義和愛國主義永存在南安人們心中!
順頌
時祺!
菲律賓籃球協會秘書長/
菲律賓學校體育協會聯合會秘書長/
南安市華僑體育會副會長 林剛陵 啟
*****************
Nanan City's Zheng Cheng Gong
By: Graham C. Lim 林剛陵
To:
The Secretary of Nanan City Government, Fujian Province
The Mayor of Nanan City Government, Fujian Province
The Nanan City Sports Council, Fujian Province
From:
Graham Chua Lim
Secretary General, Basketball Association of the Philippines
(BAP or www.baplink.com);
Secretary General, Federation of School Sports Association of the
Philippines (FESSAP or www.fessap.net);
Vice Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Nanan City Sports Council;
Dear Sirs/Madams:
Good day to everyone!
Here’s my recollection of the most prestigious sports event held in Nanan City – the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup International Invitational Basketball Tournament, which has been held biennially or if not every four years.
Who exactly is Zheng Cheng Gong? Zheng is a national hero of China. Back in the 1700s, or 350 years ago, General Zheng led an army to drive away the barbaric Vikings who had occupied Taiwan at the time.
General Zheng Cheng Gong was born in municipality of Nanan (now city), Fujian Province. Until today, he is still being honored by way of a basketball tournament, Zheng Cheng Gong Cup, named after him.
The tournament was introduced in 1985 in Nanan when it was still a small municipality of the Fujian Province. The Xiamen airports has been the port of entry to Nanan municipal and the gateway to everywhere else inside China, whether it be Beijing or Shanghai.
My younger brother McNeil Lim took part in the inaugural tournament in October 1985 and represented the Philippines. Due to financial constraints, I was unable to accompany him.
According to McNeil, our team received a warm welcome and the stadium was jampacked even if it was made of clay and very dusty in the side-court area.
Interestingly, the family’s ancestral home is located in Nanan. At the time, my Grandmother was still alive. She used to live in Hong Kong but decided to return just long enough to see her grandchild, McNeil.
If my memory serves me right, my grandma died in early 1986.
On many occasions, I had visited grandma in Hong Kong when I happen to be there. I usually would sleep for a night in her abode. She would serve breakfast of two boiled eggs in a soup dish marinated with sugar.
Until now, I miss my grandma until today and at times, feel as if she was still around. I feel the same for grandpa and my father, who also were born in Nanan.
In 1986, I was with the team to visit Nanan for the 2nd Zheng Cheng Gong International Invitational Basketball Tournament. It was in October of that year when the weather was cold already. We lived in a dormitory since there was no hotel at the time and most houses were old and made of marble and clay.
Nanan was known for its marble mountains. Thus most houses were made of marble. Even the roads were made of grain marble. They were built by common workers from Nanan who got a decent payment, mostly to buy food, in exchange for their work.
At that time, I was a player under coach Modesto Teh, the first person to communicate and establish contact with Nanan City Sports Council headed by Mr. Lu Lian Jia, a retired Army man during the 1970s.
Lu was in close contact with Teh, who was then the head coach of the Philippine national women’s basketball team. The Nanan visited by Teh gave Lu Lian Jie the opportunity to work out a plan to have a Philippine men’s team to play in Nanan in the 1st Zheng Cheng Gong Cup in 1985.
A year later the plan became a reality. The agreement between Teh and Lu paved the way for my visit to my ancestral home.
At present, most of the old guards of Nanan City Sport Council, which was established in 1984, have already left their posts or have died. From what I know, there are only two surviving old guards and one of them is Mr. Lu Lian Jie, who is now around 75 years old and has been a father figure to me for the past three decades.
In 1986, there was a huge demand for imported wine liquor and cigarettes in Nanan. Many people wanted to buy such expensive items that were brought in by then team. On the side, I made some money out of the trade.
Many also would want to buy our American dollars and I acted as negotiator.
As a young man, it was thrilling to have my first experience with business in my home town China.
Food prices in Nanan were so cheap. I would eat fried noodles at the roadside eatery and it would only coast me around one yuan (or six pesos in Philippine currency today). For one order, the noodles could accommodate two people.
It was a fascinating experience that I cherish until now. I love my home town so much so I have visited it various times through the years.
Until today, I regular visit my old friend, Lu, even if he has long retired as a government employee.
Another personage from the Philippines who has been supportive of the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup is Alvin Tai Lian.
Tai Lian has dedicated his time and effort for the Philippine participation to the games.
Tai Lian, who hails from Nanan City, has been a part of this prestigious basketball event since the early 1990s.
Tai Lian has been the godfather of the Philippines’ participation in most Zheng Cheng Gong Cup tournaments in the past.
Out of eight previous editions, we have been able to win two titles – one in 1999 and the other in 2002 – in back-to-back fashion.
Without the personal support of Tai Lian, we might not have had the opportunity to contend for the championship.
I am recalling these events partly because I missed the friendship and camaraderie that were fostered during past editions of the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup when teams from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia and the Philippines come to play in Nanan.
I still see the glory of the tall stature of Zheng Cheng Gong that is located at the main road, an astonishing scenery that can also be seen in entering Nanan and can also be viewed as far as from a small mountain along the highway in the city of Quanzhou, Fujian province.
From the seaside of Xiamen City, too, an imposing stature of Zheng Cheng Gong guarding the pirates against entering the China seaport can be seen as well.
Sadly, the local government is no longer keen in allowing Nanan to organize the Zheng Cheng Gong cup anymore or has shown little interest in doing so.
Times are hard and focus has been on activities that involve businesses, politics, or cultural entertainments. Sports events seem to have been left behind.
Still, Nanan became well known in the 1980s because of the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup.
Many Chinese living abroad who call Nanan home have returned to their land of birth because of the basketball tournament. It was a homecoming of sorts for the overseas Chinese.
The most recent Zheng Cheng Gong Cup basketball invitational was held in May 2012. At the time, I brought along my wife and my children to watch the event.
I began to feel that ordinary folks there were no longer keen in watching the games anymore and were simply busy with their daily life.
Now, I am really concerned and disappointed with the way the people in Nanan have treated the Zheng Cheng Gong. There is much indifference as no one seems interested anymore in organizing the event that was established to immortalize the man who brought honor to the city with his military successes more than 350 years ago.
Though I was born in the Philippines, there is much Chinese blood in me. I love China and dislike our historical past from one dynasty to another to invasions by foreign countries that ransacked the country’s treasures to the time Dr. Sun Yat-Sen liberated China.
I humbly ask the government of Nanan to organize the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup once more to revitalize the local folks through sports and in a nationalistic sense, make sure they remember their local hero.
Even the overseas Chinese surely look forward to this event as a homecoming of sorts.
May nationalism and patriotism always reign among the people in Nanan!
Graham Chua Lim 林剛陵
303 Escolta Street, Noah’s Ark Building,
Manila, Philippines 1003
E-mail: [email protected]