Alumni pose for a photo at the First Talent Maluan Sportsmanship Campaign of Overseas Elite Universities. Photos from the organizer

To attract outstanding overseas talents to work and live in Shenzhen, the First Talent Maluan Sportsmanship Campaign of Overseas Elite Universities opened Aug. 26 in Pingshan. Alumni associations from 74 renowned universities worldwide and over 500 alumni gathered at Shenzhen Technology University to attend this spectacular sports feast. As the inaugural sports event for overseas talents in Shenzhen, this activity aims to showcase the city’s openness, vitality, innovation, diversity and inclusiveness. It also demonstrates Pingshan’s determination to attract and retain talents.

Accompanied by cheers and applause, alumni from prestigious overseas universities showcased their graceful and determined spirit at the opening ceremony. The participating alumni hailed from 74 renowned universities, including Harvard, Cambridge, Columbia, MIT, Imperial College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London (UCL), National University of Singapore, University of California, Berkeley and the University of Edinburgh, to name a few. They formed a total of 13 teams.

Scenes of the opening ceremony held at Shenzhen Technology University on Aug. 26.

After the opening ceremony, the frisbee competition kicked off as the inaugural match. Everyone joyfully exerted themselves under the sun, enjoying the happiness brought by sports, showcasing the alumni’s spirit of perseverance, positivity and the allure of team sports.

“It feels like we’ve returned to our university days and this feeling is amazing,” said Deng Minqu, a board member of the Harvard University South China Alumni Association. “Every team member has performed exceptionally well. We fought bravely, and proudly clinched the victory in the first match. We look forward to achieving good results in upcoming games,” said Zhang Xi, captain of the UCL Friendship team and vice president of the UCL Shenzhen Alumni Association.

Alumni at the frisbee match.

In the next three months, the overseas alumni will compete in six events, including frisbee, badminton, tennis, five-a-side soccer, orienteering and mountain climbing, and fun sports, at Pingshan Soccer Park, Shenzhen Technology University, Maluan Mountain Park, and the Gemdale Tennis Court.

Dr. Deng Xiuhao, who graduated from University of California, Berkeley and now works at the Southern University of Science and Technology, said, “I find every competition interesting, so I immediately signed up for frisbee, for the Maluan Mountain orienteering and mountain climbing race and for the fun sports event.” He mentioned that he hasn’t been in Shenzhen for a long time and wants to take this opportunity to get to know Pingshan better.

“I am very excited to showcase our strength in the upcoming competitions, and I will do my best as a host to leave fond memories for the alumni in Pingshan,” said Wang Guanlin, who graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London and now works for a Pingshan company.

Alumni gather at Shenzhen Technology University for the First Talent Maluan Sportsmanship Campaign of Overseas Elite Universities. 

Alexander Anderson, a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science, signed up for the badminton and orienteering competitions after seeing his Chinese alumni joining. He was thrilled and ready to show his skills in Pingshan.

Many alumni who are still working or living abroad were eager to come to Shenzhen for the Talent Maluan Sportsmanship Campaign of Overseas Elite Universities. Huang Bingding, an alumnus of Dresden University of Technology in Germany, is currently working in Cologne and didn’t plan to return to China so soon. However, he bought a plane ticket for Sept. 18 to participate in the five-a-side soccer match. He expressed his gratitude for his alumni’s invitation and said, “I am looking forward to playing soccer in Pingshan.”