Chinese fan travels 1200 KM to watch Smriti Mandhana plan in Asian Games 2023 Gold medal match

Smriti Mandhana was the vice-captain of Indian team which won gold at Asian Games 2023.

In cricket, fans are known to go to great lengths to support their favourite players. A young man from Beijing, China, travelled 1200 kilometres to Hangzhou just to witness the brilliance of Indian women's cricket vice- captain Smriti Mandhana. India women's cricket won a gold in Asian Games 2023 beating Sri Lanka in the finals of the tournament.

Jun Yu, a cricket fan from China comes from a land where the sport is relatively not that popular, with only a handful of people who understand and appreciate the game. Jun Yu, a student from Beijing, China, defined the odds by making a remarkable trip to Hangzhou to watch Smriti Mandhana.

Jun Yu's fascination with cricket began when he watched videos of iconic cricket moments on YouTube. These videos showcased Indian legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Smriti Mandhana, quickly earning them a place in his heart.

"I saw Jasprit Bumrah's spell against Australia in the 2019 World Cup. I follow both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They are the current greats of the game. Then, there is Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah was extraordinary against Australia in the 2019 World Cup," Yu told PTI 

'Cricket lessons are given in my university,' says Chinese fan

Yu's journey into the world of cricket was further facilitated by the availability of cricket lessons at his university in Beijing, which provided him with a basic understanding of the game.

"Cricket lessons are given in my university in Beijing. So, I know a little bit of it," said Yu.

He explained that cricket remains a relatively lesser known sport with few venues and participants. Even the cricket field where he watched Smriti Mandhana in action was once a flower garden, converted into a cricket field specifically for Asian Games.

'There is not much cricket in China,' says YU

"There is not much cricket in China, very few cricket venues, very few people play it and many even don't know how it is played. Only Guangzhou, where cricket was played during the 2010 Asian Games has a permanent cricket stadium. It's because of historical reasons," he said.

"I don't play cricket even if I want to. There is no proper ground also. Even this ground was a flower field before the Asian Games. It was converted into a cricket field for the Asian Games. A few warm-up games were played here before the Asian Games," he added.

Yu's commitment to cricket led him to invest 1000 Yuan (INR 11,400) in his journey from Beijing to Hangzhou, where he witnessed Mandhana's abilities on the field. Regrettably, he couldn't stay to witness the Indian men's team in action due to academic commitments.

"I spent 1000 Yuan (INR 11,400) to come here from Beijing. I have my studies and so I can't stay back for the men's tournament. I am returning to Beijing on Tuesday," he said.

Interestingly, Yu was not the only Indian cricket fan in the crowd, as some Indians residing in China turned up to support their national team. Navneet Singh, who runs a fabric business in Hangzhou, shared his experience of being part of the Hangzhou Cricket Club, highlighting the growing interest in the sport among Indians living in China.

"I have been here for the past one and half years, I am doing business in fabrics. This is the first time we have watched a cricket match in China. Cricket is not played here in China but we watched cricket on Indian channels."