1. Zheng Haixia, a well-known name in the basketball world in China and even in the world, witnessed how a peasant girl reached the pinnacle of life with her tenacious struggle and outstanding talent and became the legend of Asia's No. 1 female center.
Zheng Haixia was born in an ordinary rural family. Her father named her "Haixia", which means that he hopes that his daughter's life path can be as broad and bright as the sea. As time went on, the family found that Zheng Haixia was really tall, and she had grown to 172 centimeters in junior high school, and then she was pulling up at an alarming speed.
After careful consideration, the parents decided to send their daughter to a sports school and give her a stage to display her basketball dream. In 1979, 12-year-old Zheng Haixia entered the sports school to start her training career.
She is talented, studied for less than a year, and with her proud figure of 2.06 meters and excellent ball skills, she was introduced into the Wuhan army basketball team. In the experience of the army team, this tall girl began to display her amazing basketball talent to the fullest, sweating and killing all sides on the court, which was eye-catching.
Two years later, Zheng Haixia was selected by the Chinese women's youth basketball team for her excellent performance and represented the country in the Asian Youth Championships and Asian Championships. Despite her young age, she has become the absolute core of the entire national team, and all of her attacking tactics are designed around the 2.06m giant.
In 1984, Zheng Haixia was only 16 years old and participated in the Los Angeles Olympics. In the five-game competition, she played well, and finally helped the Chinese team win a meaningful silver medal with an astonishing hit rate of 56%! At this moment, Zheng Haixia's title was completely outstanding, and she became the focus of national attention and was known as "Asia's No. 1 Female Center".
Over the next two years, Zheng Haixia continued to chase the victory, once again showing her unparalleled strength at the two consecutive World Championships, where she was not only awarded the honorary title of "Best Center", but also "Best Athlete".
2. At that time, Zheng Haixia was definitely the most shining star on the Asian women's basketball stage, and her reputation was unparalleled. In 1997, Zheng Haixia set a new record and became the first Asian player to be selected for the WNBA and joined the Los Angeles Sparks.
But the good times didn't last long, and soon after the start of the new season, Zheng Haixia's body was plagued by a series of injuries. Years of high-intensity training and competitions caused her waist, knee joints and other joints to gradually become crippled and painful, but she gritted her teeth and persevered, hoping to bring more honor to the country, until the 1996 Olympic Games, which was doomed to failure, she reluctantly chose to retire.
Although retired, Zheng Haixia has left a strong mark in the history of basketball. Her legendary life course is a vivid portrayal of the Chinese women's basketball team's breakthrough on the world stage.
Zheng Haixia was born in an ordinary rural family, and like thousands of peasant children, her fate is no different for her. But as she grew older, her parents gradually discovered that this daughter was very different from others - she was so tall that she had grown to 172 centimeters in junior high school, which was quite puzzling to the family.
After careful consideration, the parents made a major decision, which was to send their daughter to a sports school. They hope that Zheng Haixia can find a stage to display her talents there, and maybe basketball is her way out.
In 1979, 12-year-old Zheng Haixia entered the sports school and started her basketball training career. Although she was still young, her innate talent soon showed.
After studying for less than a year, with her proud height of 2.06 meters and outstanding ball skills, Zheng Haixia was selected by the basketball team of a certain army in Wuhan and introduced into her command exceptionally. Exercising in the ranks of the army, Zheng Haixia's amazing talent has been fully displayed.
This tall girl sweated on the field, killing all sides, and the game was wonderful everywhere, which made everyone look sideways. Two years passed quickly, and Zheng Haixia was selected by the Chinese women's youth basketball team because of her excellent performance, and began to represent the country in international competitions such as the Asian Youth Championships and the Asian Championships.
Although she was still young at that time, Zheng Haixia has become the absolute core of the national team, and all offensive tactics are designed around her, a basketball giant of 2.06 meters. From an unknown peasant girl to the number one star of the national team, Zheng Haixia has created a legendary basketball history with her tenacious struggle and outstanding talent.
3. In 1984, Zheng Haixia was only 16 years old, and she shouldered the hope of the Chinese women's basketball team. At the Los Angeles Olympics that year, she appeared on the field and became a well-deserved pillar and core of the national team.
All the offensive tactics are designed around the 2.06-meter giant. After five games, Zheng Haixia left an incredible statistic - her shooting rate was as high as an astonishing 56%! It was with her outstanding performance that the Chinese women's basketball team was able to finally win a meaningful silver medal.
At this moment, Zheng Haixia's fame was completely launched, and the whole country was paying attention to the existence of this "Asia's No. 1 female center". In the next two years, Zheng Haixia did not stop, but continued to pursue the victory.
In the two consecutive World Basketball Championships, she once again showed her strength to everyone with her outstanding performance. In both competitions, she won the "Best Center" award and was named "Best Athlete".
At that time, in the women's basketball arena in Asia and even the world, Zheng Haixia's reputation was definitely a first-class existence. The reputation of "Asia's No. 1 female center" is also well-deserved.
She has become the flag and symbol of the Chinese women's basketball team on the world stage. In 1997, Zheng Haixia set a new record, becoming the first player in Asia to be favored by the WNBA professional league ball, joining the Los Angeles Sparks.
This is undoubtedly the greatest recognition of her strength. It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, and not long after the start of the new season, Zheng Haixia's body was plagued by a series of injuries. Years of high-intensity training and competitions have caused her waist, knee joints and other joints to gradually become crippled and painful.
Despite her deteriorating health, Zheng Haixia gritted her teeth and insisted on competing, hoping to bring more honor to the country. It wasn't until the doomed Olympic Games in 1996 that she reluctantly accepted the reality and reluctantly announced her retirement.
Fourth, although she was plagued by injuries in the later part of her career, Zheng Haixia has left a strong mark in the history of basketball with her tenacious struggle and extraordinary strength. Her legendary life course is the epitome of the Chinese women's basketball team's breakthrough and take-off on the world stage.
There have been ups and downs in her career, but the chapter of love has continued in Zheng Haixia's life. In 1990, at the Asian Championships in Singapore, Zheng Haixia met her first boyfriend.
It was a 2.10-meter-tall college center who came together because of their shared love of basketball. At that time, although Zheng Haixia was already famous, when facing this "king", she still had a simple longing and expectation in her heart.
She hopes to go to the end with this boy who shares a common language with her. It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, because Zheng Haixia often left home for the competition, and the relationship between the two soon fell into estrangement.
Coupled with the fact that her boyfriend couldn't bear the huge pressure brought about by Zheng Haixia's increasingly famous fame, after careful consideration, the two chose to break up in 1993, and this relationship that lasted for 3 years ended without a hitch.
Although the trauma of a broken love briefly crushed Zheng, as a professional athlete, she quickly used the competition to refocus. In 1997, when she joined the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, a long-time crush on her appeared—Xu Qinghua, an ordinary street temporary worker and a loyal basketball enthusiast.
For many years, Xu Qinghua has been silently paying attention to the "goddess" Zheng Haixia in his mind and recording all her performance data. After learning the news of Zheng Haixia's retirement, Xu Qinghua finally mustered up the courage and wrote a confession letter to his sweetheart.
Although he was ignored at first, he was not discouraged, but patiently waited for the opportunity, and gently pursued Zheng Haixia little by little with various copywriting love words and text messages. The two maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, during which Xu Qinghua cared about Zheng Haixia's life and daily life.
5. For example, when he sees news about Zheng Haixia in the newspaper or classic quotations in books, he will carefully edit it and send it to his sweetheart, so as to maintain the relationship between the two. Xu Qinghua's persistent affection finally moved Zheng Haixia.
At the end of February 2024, the International Basketball Association FIBA released a video, in which Zheng Haixia wore the No. 28 jersey again after 27 years, this time to celebrate the new generation of Chinese women's basketball superstar Li Yueru joining the Los Angeles Sparks.
Seeing Zheng Haixia in the video, people can't help but sigh at what an ordinary and happy life this former "giant" is living now. Yes, although Zheng Haixia has created countless brilliant achievements in the field, her married life is plain and happy.
Her husband Xu Qinghua has always been her most solid backing, and once proudly said that "I am willing to be your garbage can" to create a carefree environment for Zheng Haixia, so that she can pursue her career ideals without worries.
This frank love made Zheng Haixia reap the greatest happiness in her life. However, the loving couple never had children. The reason is that Zheng Haixia is worried that her too tall size is a genetic mutation, and giving birth to a child may inherit this "genetic defect", which will lead to an unhealthy physiological condition of the child.
In a show, when asked why she didn't have children, Zheng Haixia admitted that it was for this reason that she chose not to have children. Despite this, Zheng Haixia still lives a happy and happy life.
In 2024, the International Basketball Association (FIBA) inducted her into the Hall of Fame for her outstanding contributions to the cause of basketball in China and the world. This former "Asia's No. 1 female center" has indeed become a winner in life.
At the peak of her career, Zheng Haixia made a name for herself on the world stage with her tenacious struggle, and she used her strength to become the banner and symbol of the Chinese women's basketball team.
After retiring, she lived an ordinary and happy life and reaped the sweetness of love. Seeing the wonderful in the ordinary is the greatest wealth of Zheng Haixia's life.