rences but also shares common values," she said. The Coaltion for Quebecs Future says that regardless of the FIFA decision, the final call should be t

In November, espnWs weekly essay series will focus on giving.I first heard of Chinese Olympic swimmer Fu Yuanhui when someone on Facebook posted an article about her with the caption: I want to be her best friend. I winced and moved on. For days, I did not click on the link, until I saw even more people posting about her -- always with the same words. Shes amazing. I love her. Too real.Oh, no, I thought. Oh no. I knew exactly where this was going. But I clicked anyway.When I was in elementary school, I was the only Asian in my grade. On the playground, my classmates pretended to be Chinese, saying things like ching-chong-chaw and doing kung-fu. At my desk, I seethed but could not explain why -- only that it came from some deep feeling that my classmates were pretending to be Chinese the way kids pretend to be aliens or superheroes.One afternoon, my classmates had gathered around me, fascinated by my eyes. Theyre different, one of them announced, and then they all stepped in closer. I wondered if I had became a caricature by being fully Asian and half-Chinese.When I grew older, the narrative changed. After college, I spent some time studying Chinese in China, in an attempt to understand my mothers culture. The majority of my male classmates had arrived on a different quest: They wanted a girlfriend.Chinese women are beautiful, one of my classmates told me. He handed me his phone. The contacts list was filled with the names of women hed met clubbing. The album was packed with photographs of him wrapped around each of the women hed met, their faces green and silver from the flashing lights of the clubs.I cant speak the language, I hate the food here and I miss my family, he told me as he swiped through each picture so quickly the faces blurred together, but Im not going home until I get a girlfriend.Theyre different from American women, my apartment mate explained when I asked him about the allure. Theyre more feminine and more submissive. Perfect wife material.Chinese women had evolved to mean sexy. I couldnt decide if that was better or worse. Really, it was just about the same as being a caricature, but now served with a side of submission and breasts.With all of that in mind, I read all the stories and watched interviews of Fu Yuanhui, expecting a celebrity swimmer who was polite and poster beautiful.The unexpected happened: I too fell in love. I, too, wanted Fu Yuanhui to be my best friend. She wasnt poster-pretty. She was something far better: She was human.When Fu Yuanhui heard shed come in third at the 100-meter backstroke finals at the Rio Olympics, she gasped for air, stuttered and then mangled her lanyard from the sheer joy of winning. Her bubbling, over-the-top delight with life was infectious. In the photographs, while other athletes posed for the camera, smiles frozen in place, she clutched her medal mouth open in a silent roar of happiness. She made faces, grinned maniacally.The moment I truly fell for her was during the womens 4x100-meter medley relay when she emerged from the pool doubled over in pain. Her period left her feeling weak, she told the reporter, and she didnt swim her best. Then, she apologized for her performance and moved on.Never mind the cultural taboo that exists around periods, particularly in China, where tampons are hard to come by. Never mind the cultural taboos about periods that exist around the world. Fu Yuanhui swam in pain; she felt like she underperformed; she apologized; and that was all simply all there was to it.Fu Yuanhui didnt give us pretty, she gave us joy so fierce you could feel its power blasting through the camera lens. She didnt give us pitch-perfect celebrity-speak molded to showcase her best self to the press. She gave us herself, her incandescent happiness, her earthly pain.She showed us its possible to be loved by the world for simply being yourself. And for this, we loved her, for this we continue to love her: Fu Yuanhui, champion swimmer, champion human.Shalene Gupta is currently working on a novel about growing up Chinese-Indian in Minnesota. A former Fortune reporter, with an M.S. from Columbia Journalism School, she is currently a freelance writer living in Boston. Follow her @ShaleneGupta Scott Niedermayer Jersey . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Randy Ladouceur Jersey . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. https://www.cheapducks.com/137c-adam-oates-jersey-ducks.html .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. Nicolas Deslauriers Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Jean-Sebastien Giguere Jersey . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents.MONTREAL -- Soccers world body struck a blow against Quebecs turban ban Friday, saying such headwear is perfectly acceptable on the pitch for now. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) said in a statement it is temporarily authorizing the wearing of male head covers at all levels of Canadian soccer. It is effectively applying a 2012 ruling that allowed specially designed hijabs for women. The statement outlines certain rules for allowing the male headwear on the pitch. "(FIFA) authorizes the CSA to permit all players to wear head covers ... in all areas and on all levels of the Canadian football community," FIFA said. FIFAs position came four days after the Canadian Soccer Association suspended Quebecs soccer federation because the provincial body banned Sikh headwear. The move risked turning Quebec into a soccer pariah, with players in the province isolated from national and interprovincial competition. The Quebec organization had cited safety issues for its decision and the fact the garments were not endorsed by FIFA. FIFA responded that the head coverings are allowed -- on a trial basis and just for the time being. The issue will be discussed in October by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which determines the rules of the game, and a final decision is expected in March 2014. The Quebec Soccer Federation said Friday it welcomed the news "with enthusiasm and relief." It said it had been waiting for clear instructions from FIFA. However, the Quebec body has not said exactly what it will do next. It is to hold a news conference Saturday morning and issue a ruling with respect to the "lifting of the ban." The impact of the spat has already been felt. This weekend, at least 20 out-of-province teams are skipping a tournament in Montreal. Some players in Quebec leagues have also decided to wear turbans in protest of the ban. That ban had the support of the Parti Quebecois government and some sovereigntists have even used the case as an argument for Quebec independence. However, many federal politicians opposed the ban and applauded the CSA suspension -- with the Conservatives and Liberals being the most forceful. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair had also written to FIFA, seeking clarification and expressing his hope children would be allowed to play. In Ottawa, Sports Minister Bal Gosal said he was optimistic FIFAs statement could help end the stalemate. "I am optimistic this development will help the CSA and the Quebec Soccer Federation pursue their discussions and resolve the current situation very soon, so all Canadians, especially the children, can get back on the field continue to play the game," Gosal said in a statement. There are certain guidelines regarding the headgear. FIFA outlined the details in a letter to the Canadian Soccer Association, dated Thursday. According to FIFA, the headcover must be the same colour as the jersey; must keep with the professional appearance of the players equipment; and must not be attached to a jersey or pose any danger to the player wearing it. The World Sikh Organization welcomed FIFAs declaration. "Its been our position from the outset that the accommodation of the turban shouldnt hinge on FIFA rules but instead on the Canadian tradition of diversity and acceptance and also on Canadian rules and law," said spokesman Balpreet Singh. "This announcement is certainly good news. Its absolutely clear now that any restricction on the wearing of the turban is illegitimate and were hopeful the Quebec Soccer Federation will now immediately lift its ban.dddddddddddd "The children should really be allowed to play as soon as possible." A pro-turban community event planned for Montreal on Saturday will go ahead as scheduled, albeit under a different tone given Fridays announcement. Mukhbir Singh, vice-president for Quebec and the Atlantic region for the World Sikh Organization, says hes thankful for FIFAs stance. He said the public support has been uplifting and refreshing. Singh, 25, a Montreal soccer player who has also been forced off the pitch, said he hopes the Quebec federation moves quickly to change its position. "Whoever is affected by these recent developments, I hope they are all back on the field and no one misses another soccer game," Singh said. The community event in the citys west end will go on as scheduled. "Our goal was to rally together in a positive manner, to open a dialogue with the community," Singh said. "We didnt want it to be a protest or a statement, we want it to be a positive event where we could explain that Sikhs are part of Quebec, we speak French and English and weve been here for a very long time. "The fact is were just like everyone else." Other soccer associations from outside Quebec welcomed the FIFA directive. Quebec was the only province to not abide by a Canadian Soccer Association to permit turbans on the pitch. "We should not be barring any person from participating in sport, we have to find a way to be more inclusive ... we have to find a way of bringing more people into the sport," said Lucille Abate, president of York region soccer association, a Toronto-area organization with a total of 25 teams and roughly 55,000 members. Abate said her association supported the suspension of the Quebec branch. "Discrimination of any sort wont be tolerated, it shouldnt be tolerated in sports," she said. Political reaction from Quebecs three major parties was mixed, with the PQ saying FIFAs intervention demonstrated that the Quebec Soccer Federation was in the right to ban turbans while awaiting a clear response. Premier Pauline Marois said the final decision remains the Quebec bodys prerogative, but she said the coverage of the issue that painted Quebecers as racist and intolerant was "disgraceful." "I believe that Quebec society is welcoming, that wants to integrate all of those that want to participate in its values and participate in this reality that we represent collectively which accepts differences but also shares common values," she said. The Coaltion for Quebecs Future says that regardless of the FIFA decision, the final call should be the Quebec federations. "What I said since the beginning, since Day 1 is the same: the Quebec federation should decide, and well approve what they will decide, thats it," said Leader Francois Legault. Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard said that it was important to properly classify the debate. "This wasnt a debate on religious neutrality of the state or on reasonable accommodation, it was a debate on sport," Couillard said. "Our position on that was let the kids play together." Couillard, who has a background in medicine, said if player safety is truly at question, then it needs to be proven and examined over an extended period. - with files from Peter Rakobowchuk ' ' '