| |
| Author |
Message |
|
| pryuen |
 Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:27 pm |
 |
|
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 46898
Location: Hong Kong/China
|
As International Labor Day (May 1) is fastly approaching, Yao Ming is nominated by his hometown Shanghai Trade Union to be one of the candidates for National Model Worker !!!
A lot of controversies were raised in China right after his nomination. One camp is for it. The other camp is against it, saying he should not be entitled to it, as he is a professional basketball player, playing overseas.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/apress_032805entstory_yaoming.html wrote:
last updated: 3/28/2005
Yao Ming Nominated as Model Worker in his Hometown
(Shanghai, China-AP, March 28, 2005) — Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is known as one of the hardest working men in basketball. Now his hometown wants to make the title official by nominating him for Model Worker honors.
Also nominated was Liu Xiang, gold medalist in the men's 110 meter hurdles in Athens last summer, the official Shanghai Daily reported on Monday.
"Both are world class athletes," the report quoted an unidentified official with the Shanghai Trade Union as saying. "What's more, they have good characters," the official added.
The Model Worker title was one of China's most prestigious under the former planned economy, often bringing promotion, better housing and political notoriety.
Its glimmer has dimmed amid the market economy's rise in recent years, but China's communist rulers have kept the honor alive as a way to inspire discipline, loyalty and hard work.
Yao became one of China's biggest sporting heroes after joining the NBA in 2002 as the No. 1 draft pick. But he has won accolades back home for returning to play with the national team during the NBA off season, helping China reach the quarter finals at Athens. |
|
|
| Back to top |
 
|
| ChineseGuy |
| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 6:08 pm |
|
|
Joined: 19 Dec 2004
Posts: 438
Location: The world
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| FFz |
| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:06 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 3803
Location: Bet on us!
|
| If he wins, he will face a lot of ****** if he decides to backout on any National team duties... |
|
|
| Back to top |
  
|
| Chuck__187 |
| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:12 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 3762
|
lol
award for being obedient robot for the CBa. Watta honour... NOT@! |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| pryuen |
| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:19 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 46898
Location: Hong Kong/China
|
So the controversy lingers on.........
The pros and cons of Yao Ming being nominated as the National Model Worker !!!
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/30/content_429245.htm wrote:
Yao's 'Model Worker' tag a tall order
By Zou Huilin (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-30 00:12
Once, China appointed its model workers -- those to inspire the masses -- on the virtues of their hard work, modesty, patriotism and unshakeable commitment to the cause.
But how times do change -- and in China, quickly.
Now, being an exceptionally tall, talented slam-dunking millionaire living the celebrity good life in the United State may qualify for this once revered accolade, though many doubt it.
Yao Ming has been nominated "Model Worker" by the residents of Shanghai.
The city's Municipal Judging Panel for Model Workers recently has issued the namelists of Model Worker Nominees to the public and then asked the panel to cast their votes.
The majority nominated Yao, citing two reasons.
He is currently the best Chinese basketball player "in the world," commanding the most fame, thus acting as "a perfect image ambassador for China in the eyes of the world," who promotes Chinese sport -- a PR wonder, the Yao vote argued.
They also cited Yao's patriotism -- even though now he is working as a player in Houston Rockets in the USA. But whenever China needs him, he answers for the China's National Basketball Team, they said.
But the tall quiet one will not be passed the title without a fuss.
His nomination has fueled a heated debate about the true meaning of a "Model Worker."
Some sociologists argue as a model worker, one should reside, sweat and toil in the country rather in some foreign land.
And the sociologists say Yao's direct contribution to Shanghai society is "not great enough to justify him as a model worker."
But the Shanghai thinking young hold the evaluation system for "model Worker" needs timely revision, as the old system is outdated and has no power to push social development forward.
Sebastian Wang, a student majoring in sociology in Shanghai University, believes that the "broad" definition for model workers should be "excellent persons in their respective fields such as in the sports world, in the artistic world or in the business world."
However, Lee Zhang, a sociologist pointed out that as the norms of "Model Worker" suggests, a model worker should be the hardest worker among his peers. "However, the success of an excellent athlete lies in many aspects such as talents, the methodology of his coach, and of course hard work," said Lee.
He added: "I doubt Yao is the hardest working basketball player, while I can say he is a very talented man, I know many more Chinese players toil harder than he does."
Zhang also believes a model worker should be "an ordinary person and not a star."
Zou Huiying, vice-general manager of Shanghai Media Group Broadband Co Ltd disagrees.
"Yao's effort is not only spent on the basketball court, but also spent as a Chinese ambassador in US society U.S.A, which set up healthy image of the Chinese in the globe. In this sense, he is a model worker," said Zou.
He refutes Yao's financial contribution to China is not as much as his contribution to the USA "
"His contribution to China is invaluable in prompting more foreigners to know of China's advancement," said Zou. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| P_Sa |
| Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:01 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 1286
|
FFz wrote: If he wins, he will face a lot of ****** if he decides to backout on any National team duties...
Aye. Yao's hands are tied. Yao probably wish he won't get chosen... |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| pryuen |
| Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:43 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 46898
Location: Hong Kong/China
|
It is official. Yao Ming is selected as one of the many National Model Workers to be honored in People's Hall in Beijing on May 1 International Labor Day.
Of course he will not be there personally to recieve his award, as he will have just finished Game 4 with the Mavericks on April 30th.   
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/27/content_2885212.htm wrote:
Rockets superstar named Chinese "labor hero"
www.chinaview.cn 2005-04-27 17:19:03
SHANGHAI, April 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Basketball player Yao Ming was named a national "labor hero" by the Chinese government on Wednesday.
"The State Council, or the Chinese central government, has approved Yao's nomination," an official with the Shanghai Municipal Federation of Trade Unions told Xinhua Wednesday.
Upon hearing the news, the 24-year-old Houston Rockets center Yao, whose team in National Basketball Association play-offs, said via his broker Zhang Chi, "I take it as one more honor and encouragement from my country."
"Labor hero" is an honor once reserved for the likes of bus conductors, plumbers, miners and other employees in China.
"I used to take the "model worker" as the title for those ordinary laborers working whole-heartedly and leaving their pay out of account, but now, apart from them, special 'migrant workers' like me can also receive the award, which shows the development of society," said Yao.
Not all the Chinese applauded Yao's nomination. Some said labor heroes should be selected from ordinary workers, not rich superstars like Yao.
Yao's supporters, however, said the Chinese young man is not only a basketball player, but also a messenger for the Chinese culture to the mainstream Western society.
He helps show a brilliant, diligent and more confident China to the outside world, those supporters said.
In correspondence with great honors, Yao led the Chinese national basketball team into the quarterfinals at Athens Olympic Games last year.
"The reason why we nominated Yao is that he shows the modern image of the Chinese while being patriotic in international sports arena," the Shanghai official said.
Since 1950, China has selected labor heroes nationwide. Along with Yao, businessmen running private companies and migrant workers from China's rural areas are among those receiving the honor.
"We can test some subtle changes behind the fact that those people of diversified ranks are honored," said Prof. Li Qiang, a sociologist at prestigious Qinghua University in Beijing.
In the late 1970s, the nomination of national labor heroes for intellectuals and businessmen running state companies was a stunning leap in traditional concepts of Chinese people.
"From ordinary workers to intellectuals, to business people and sports stars," said Prof. Li, "it represents the diversity of Chinese society at modern times."
"Compared with those labor heroes who have contributed tremendously to the motherland," Yao said via his broker Zhang, "I have to keep improving myself." |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| fedorame |
| Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 3:20 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 10 Mar 2005
Posts: 4
|
He deserve it .i think the award is not just belong to workers,and to a degree yao is just a worker for NBA.  |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| stantang |
| Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:41 am |
|
|
Joined: 20 Dec 2003
Posts: 507
|
fedorame wrote: He deserve it .i think the award is not just belong to workers,and to a degree yao is just a worker for NBA.
Who isn't a worker? We all work in different ways on different level. LOL |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| pryuen |
| Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 6:54 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 46898
Location: Hong Kong/China
|
LOL !!!! Del Harris must be a great Elvis Presley fan. He had made this analogy so many times !!!
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/rox/3159899 wrote:
Yao honored
Yao Ming has been in All-Star Games. He has carried his nation's flag at the Olympics. He hopes to win an NBA championship ring.
But Saturday in Beijing, in the Great Hall of the People that Yao visited with the Rockets in October, he will be officially named as a "Model Worker," the Chinese government announced Thursday.
"That is the greatest honor for Chinese people," Yao said. "Nothing is better than that."
The honor, part of the Cultural Revolution Era May Day celebration, fetes model workers, one of the three celebrated parts of the Maoist society (the worker, soldier and farmer). Given every five years, it is still considered a cherished tradition, even as it has grown to include the wealthy during the past two decades of economic reforms.
"When we were kids, a lot of the people who got that award were just normal people who did normal jobs but did something special or showed a particular work ethic," Yao said. "I still know (of many who previously were given that honor). Maybe they were not popular people, not stars, but they are hard workers. They did some great jobs on special projects."
Yao's selection has generated controversy because of how far removed Yao — earning $18 million over four years, excluding endorsement income — is from having a "normal job."
"He's deserving of the highest honor; let's put it that way," Mavericks assistant and former Rockets and Chinese National team coach Del Harris said. "He was a great model over at the Olympics. He was like Elvis over there. His autograph was the most sought-after autograph at the Olympics. I thought he conducted himself tremendously well as an ambassador of his country and also the NBA." |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
All times are GMT - 8 Hours
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
