Two international students from Malaysia and Vietnam, Kho Yap Hong and Nguyen Thi Thuy Van, shared their experiences studying in China and their deep connection to badminton during a roundtable talk with CGTN Sports Scene's Shen Xiang.
Both offered unique perspectives on how sports and cultural exchanges have shaped their lives and aspirations.Kho, a Malaysian student at Beijing Sport University, said he frequently visited China as a child and admired the country very much.
His badminton coach, a native of central China's Hunan Province, also told him a lot about the country, making studying in China a dream-come-true for Kho.A former member of Malaysia's junior national badminton team, Kho was inspired by a number of favorite Chinese players, which also helped inform his decision to pursue higher education in China.
And several of his professors at Beijing Sport University are former world champions, further enriching his learning experience.Nguyen is a Vietnamese student at Beijing Jiaotong University.
She is also a badminton fan, and often played the sport with her younger brother.
She enjoyed watching Chinese historical dramas as well, which helped her greatly in learning the Chinese language.Playing badminton has proven very helpful in making friends for both Nguyen and Kho.
Both students agree that sports can connect countries, as they have personally experienced.