Chinese aid helps Bolivian snow sports development

Having watched Bolivian athletes compete at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on TV, 15-year-old Bolivian skier Cesar and his teammates, who are training at the Yabuli sports training base in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, were excited.

At the moment, Cesar said his biggest dream is to participate in the Winter Olympics in the future, representing his country.

"Having cross-country skiing training in a country so far away from Bolivia is something I had never thought about. This is a brand-new experience in my life," said Cesar, who participated in the third sports technical assistance program provided by China for Bolivia.

Cesar was one of several Bolivian reserve athletes who were receiving training for the development of ice and snow sports in Bolivia. With the assistance of China, they arrived at the Yabuli sports training base in late December and started a 60-day training program for skiing.

The Bolivian government has been working hard to promote its ice and snow sports. However, progress has been slow due to a lack of funds, equipment, venues, and coaches.

"The Beijing 2022 Olympics broadcast in Bolivia has aroused the interest of many people. We hope that more Bolivians will participate in ice and snow sports," said President of the Bolivian Olympic Committee Marco Antonio Arze Mendoza.

Most of the athletes participating in the training are roller skaters. Restricted by local training conditions, most of them have never been to  a snow field or even did know how to wear snowshoes.

To help the Bolivian athletes improve rapidly within a limited period of time, the Chinese coaches tailored training plans for them and increased the training intensity and difficulty in a steady manner. Ski training and rehabilitation training were also carried out for team coaches and doctors.

A 24-year-old female athlete from the team expressed her hope to complete the training plan and inspire more women in Bolivia to ski. 

A Bolivian team coach said that through the training program, she would be able to pass on her theoretical knowledge and actual lessons taught in China to the new generation in Bolivia.

In just two months of training, the first and second groups of Bolivian athletes are now able to ski the entire distance of a 2.5-km off-road track and 1.5-km track, respectively.

Mendoza said that the China-aided program has ignited the torch of Bolivia's ice and snow sports. The cooperation is beneficial for Bolivia, as it wants to develop sports to a higher level.

"We hope to see a positive impact of winter sports on Bolivia and the world in the near future," he said.