Tibetan shepherd boy aims for Olympic glory
Print Edition
HE used to be a shepherd boy tending his yaks at the foot of a mountain in Lhasa, Tibet, and Duobujie might have ended up farming like his parents. But running has put his life on a different path.
The 23-year-old cemented his place as one of the greatest Tibetan athletes after clocking 28 minutes and 26.86 seconds to win Tibet’s first track & field gold in the 10k event at China’s National Games in Tianjin in September.
“Glad to nail a gold for Tibet. It is very helpful to train with Ethiopian runners, and we learn a lot from them,” says Duobujie, extending his sincere thanks to the Chinese Athletic Association (CAA), which supported his training overseas. “The way the Ethiopians train is eye-opening for us. They arrange their training plans according to different environments.”
In 2014, Duobujie started training in Ethiopia for several months every year with financial support from the CAA. Long-distance running is tedious, especially when training in a foreign country.
First athlete from Tibet
During the 2016 Rio Games, Duobujie became the first athlete from China’s Tibet Autonomous Region to contest track and field at the Olympics. He is also the second athlete from Tibet to participate in the Olympics, after Duoji Qiuyun took part in the archery event at the 1988 Olympics.
In Rio, Duobujie finished his second marathon in 2:24:22.
Growing up in a small village surrounded by mountains in Dazi County of Lhasa, Duobujie used to herd yaks and dig certain kinds of fungi for sale.
“There might be some talent in my family blood. I feel inspired to win whenever I am standing at the starting line,” says Duobujie. “I always finished first in the running event when I was at primary school, of course without real training.”
During his first year of middle school in 2009, Duobujie was drafted into the running team of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
“My teacher said that you should focus on your study because you’re not chosen by the athletics team. But it was a joke,” Duobujie says.
It was unthinkable for a young Duobujie that he would travel to so many cities in the future as an athlete, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, South Korea’s Incheon and even Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
When Duobujie left his village to get training in Lhasa, he had the chance to use a big sport court with real rubber-floored 400m track.
“I never dreamed of running on such a good track. It felt amazing and I was so curious about how they made the track,” he laughs.
In fact, Duobujie, a football lover, knew little about long-distance running before he was chosen to take training.
“I am content with the admission, because when you choose to run, you should fight to be the best,” says Duobujie who was clear about his championship dream. “Coach Gesang Ciren is really kind, and I do not want to let him down.”
Athletic shoes were also something new to Duobujie. When he had a pair of such shoes in Lhasa, the shoes served him for more than one year. He spent a total of six yuan from his extra money to repair the shoes.
“It was my first pair of athletic shoes. It suited me well,” Duobujie adds.
In 2011, Duobujie left Tibet for the first time to compete in Jinan, Shandong Province, and then to Beijing.
“It was like a dream when I saw Tian’anmen Square,” Duobujie says, grinning.
Duobujie notes that he usually runs over 40 kilometers each day for practice. For him, marathon was much more demanding than that of the 10 kilometers, but it was easier to reach the Olympic final in marathon.
Duobujie says coach Gesang always encourages his athletes to strive to earn honor for their country and their families.
“He takes full care of us, just like our father. My parents tell me to turn to my coach for advice always if needed,” Duobujie says.
After Duobujie won the gold at the National Games, he called his parents to tell them about the medal. Due to his training plan, he had to travel a lot, with few reunions with his family.
“We know about his competition arrangement, so we did not want to disturb him. I was not crying, but my wife cried with joy,” said his father Xiwang upon receiving his son’s call.
An episode of Duobujie winning the gold is now stored in Xiwang’s phone. Xiwang says he has watched it numerous times, and Duobujie’s mother Quyang is in tears every time she watches it.
“I am very proud of him,” says Quyang. “I also miss him very much.”
Though the Rio trip was not quite pleasant for Duobujie, he still keeps his dream to compete in the upcoming Tokyo Games.
“I have a dream and it is running. I want to make the final eight in the next Olympic Games,” he says.
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