Lions voted as Shanghai Sports Team of the year 2012

Lions,

Yesterday was a special day for the Lions as we were voted Shanghai best Sports Team for the third consecutive time by That’s Shanghai Magazine. Our award was the “people’s choice” which made us even more happy because it meant that many people recognized us as the best club in Shanghai and voted for us. A big thank you to all the people who have voted for the Lions and a big thank you for all the Lions, you truly deserved this award! Every single Lion have contributed to the award from the U18 until the veteran’s and from Saturday to the Sunday Lions ! Magic is the word !

It was good to see so many Lions present to receive the award at the Camel Bar and it showed our true spirit. I made an incredible journey of over 12 hours to arrive just two minutes before the presentation. Here is my story:

• 800 AM wake up in Qinhuangdao plan is to take the 1130 flight to arrive 1400 in Shanghai
• 900 AM see an email from my CEO that he wants to have a meeting at 1700 in Shanghai
• 1000 AM found out that my plane never left Shanghai so sure I am going to be late as its too foggy in Qinhuangdao
• 1100 AM plane still in Shanghai as that’s the only flight to Qinhuangdao on the day I start to worry about my meeting and the awards
• 1200 AM plane will never leave Shanghai and I need to make a plan B
• 1300 PM arrive in the train station and tell my CEO I cannot make it / he said no pbm we can meet tmw morning
• 1530 PM arrive in Beijing Railway station / total chaos with thousands of CNY commuters
• 1600 try to get a taxi but nobody stops ! Call my Beijing office and they tell me its total chaos on the road if I go by car to the airport I will not arrive before 1900 pm
• 1615 in the subway but my colleague insist we are in the correct one but we go the wrong way / change subway and I am on the way to the airport
• 1645 arrive in Beijing airport to catch 1730 flight / text Ned of That’s magazine that I might not making at all and say sorry.
• 1730 flight delayed to 1815 text Charles to pick up the award / Charles replied : “you think we will win one”? Me : “ Of course we are the best Club in Shanghai”
• 1815 in the plane but not taking off
• 1915 in the plane but not taking off / text my wife to make sure my driver picks me up so we can go full speed to the Camel bar
• 1930 plane takes off / I ask for beer but they only serve water…..!
• 2130 landed and I started to sprint 500 meter shouting at people to move away as I am in a hurry
• 2135 cannot find my driver and call him but I have no clue what he is saying in his dialect. He called my wife and after I called my wife but she also couldn’t understand him…..
• 2137 I start to give up and I am fed up
• 2140 I found him on the other side of the Honqiao terminal another sprint and call Charles I am in the car / full speed to the Camel Bar
• 2158 I arrived !!! Unbelievable ! And now the most important award of the evening the people choice of Sport Team of the Year…
• 2200 And the winners are ……..: “The Shanghai Lions” / I jump on the stage so happy! Everybody on the stage!

 

To me we are on long journey together and this is just the beginning and the moral of the story if you really want to make something happen you can ! All of us can that’s why we will have the best teams of Shanghai and that’s why we will continue to win trophies !

 

Cheers
Happy President Freek