Liu Shaoang (L) and Liu Shaolin Sandor participate in a welcoming ceremony after they returned from Beijing Olympic Winter Games in Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 18, 2022. (Photo by Marton Csanadi/Xinhua)
The Hungarian National Skating Federation has accepted the request of Liu Shaoang and Liu Shaolin brothers to change countries and waived the enforcement of their prior financial demands.
BUDAPEST, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Hungarian National Skating Federation (MOKSZ) accepted the request of Liu Shaoang and Liu Shaolin to relocate and waived the enforcement of their prior financial demands, according to a statement released by the organization on Tuesday.
This decision marks a significant moment for the Liu brothers, who are determined to pursue their skating careers.
The MOKSZ's extraordinary meeting on Tuesday decided to accept the Liu brothers' request to change their country of residence and to waive the earlier decision this year on the enforcement of the claims mentioned in the board resolution.
As a result, MOKSZ views the Liu brothers' legal relationship as being finished. This implies that they will not be recouping the hundreds of millions of forints that they spent on the two athletes' training over the previous three years.
"We wish Liu Shaoang and Liu Shaolin every success in their future careers," the MOKSZ wrote. "We note with regret the intention of the Liu brothers to change countries and say goodbye with a heavy heart, and at the same time thank Hungary's first Winter Olympic champions, who indelibly wrote themselves into the sports history of our country, for the unforgettable successes achieved together."
Liu Shaoang of Hungary completes the men's 500m short track speed skating semifinal at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)
The Liu brothers, who were born in Budapest to a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother, would likely skate for China if their applications were granted. In September, Zhang Jing, who had been their long-time mentor on the Hungary team, took over as head coach of the Chinese national team, and the two are eager to keep up their incredibly fruitful working relationship.
At the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games in South Korea, the Liu brothers led the Hungarian men's team to its first short track speed skating Olympic gold medal with victory in the 5,000-meter relay final. The younger brother, Liu Shaoang, maintained his winning streak by taking first place in the 500-meter race at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February.
This achievement made the Liu brothers household names in Hungary, where they have become national heroes. ■
