The Hainan team swept both the men's and women's titles in the debuted coconut tree climbing competition at the China's biggest ethnic sports event on Sunday.
This outcome is unsurprising, given that the sport originated in the province as a common practice for picking coconuts.
Held in the city of Sanya, the 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of China saw the debut of coconut tree climbing.
Participants are required to ascend a rather narrow-looking piece of timber in the quickest time and hit the button at the top. It is a race against time and a battle of techniques. And since this sport's most important apparatus is unique to Hainan Province, it is no wonder that the hosts are pretty good at it.
Luo Jun of the Li ethnic group won the men's title in a time of 6.188 seconds, and Fu Shijun, whose ethnicity is Han, won the women's title in 6.663 seconds. Both are from Hainan and delighted to have the chance to show their abilities in front of a home crowd and promote their sport.
"I'm definitely excited. It never occurred to me that I should win the title, but unexpectedly, I really made it. I'm very excited and thrilled. All of us in Hainan would climb up the three to pick coconuts if we want drink fresh coconut juice. Now thanks to the game, more has come to know the sport of coconut tree climbing, which is good to promote Hainan's traditional sports," said Luo.
"I'm a sprinter, and I believe my training has helped build my explosive power, which gives me an advantage in climbing. When I was younger, I always wanted to climb trees and pick coconuts to drink fresh coconut juice, but I didn't have the strength to do it. Now that I'm stronger, I decided to try the sport and fulfill that childhood dream. Winning the first-ever title at home feels incredible, especially because I can bring glory to Hainan," said Fu.
The National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities, held every four years since its inception in 1953, is primarily focused on mass sports activities. Therefore, the participants are mainly non-professional athletes.
The event, which opened last Friday, will run until this coming Saturday.
Hainan sweeps men, women's titles in coconut tree climbing
A top Iranian parliament official said Monday that any U.S. interference in Iranian new maritime management rules for the Strait of Hormuz would be seen as a ceasefire violation.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, made the remarks in a social media post.
That warning came alongside other sharp condemnations from Tehran.
According to Iranian media reports, Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said on Sunday that the United States, ignoring the fact that global food and fertilizer supply chains pass through the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian control, has threatened Iran with famine, which reflects the U.S. side's lack of understanding of the global economic and political situation.
Also on Sunday, according to Iran's Press TV, Mohsen Rezaee, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said that Iran has prepared a grave for U.S. forces and aircraft carriers. He called the United States the only pirate state that possesses aircraft carriers and said that if tensions escalate, those carriers will face destruction. He also said that Iran has the capability to counter pirates and sink warships.
As Iranian officials issued those warnings, the U.S. began its operation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday in a social media post that the United States will begin guiding ships out of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, Middle East time.
Calling the action "Project Freedom," Trump said it is "a humanitarian gesture."
Trump also said in his post that U.S. representatives are in very positive discussions with Iran that could bring very positive results. Iran had not officially responded.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces would start supporting the "Project Freedom" on Monday to restore commercial shipping through the strait.
Brad Cooper, commander of the CENTCOM, said the support is critical to regional security and the global economy while the United States maintains a maritime blockade.
According to Iranian sources on Sunday, oil-shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com reported that 25 crude oil tankers left Iran in April. Seven returned due to the U.S. blockade in the Arabian Sea, two were seized by the United States in the Indian Ocean, and one sailed to the Far East. Most of the remaining 15 arrived at their destinations in the first half of April.
The United States and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran in late February, and Iran launched counterattacks. After U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, ended without results in April, the United States began imposing a maritime blockade on Iran. The aircraft carriers, USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS George H.W. Bush strike groups are operating in the Arabian Sea to enforce the maritime blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran warns U.S. interference in Strait of Hormuz violate ceasefire
