BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese women's football star Wang Shuang has revealed that her 25th birthday was a bittersweet occasion celebrated amid the lockdown of Wuhan.
The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was staying with her family in Wuhan on January 23 when the capital of Hubei Province was locked down to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"That day should have been a happy one, as it was the first time in years for me to celebrate my birthday with my family," she said.
"But that day turned out to be the first day that Wuhan was locked down, and we were left with more concern than happiness."
"I spent the day staying at home with my family, afraid of going outside. We were all overwrought," she said.
The Chinese playmaker said that when she left her home, she found herself in an isolated and seemingly empty city.
"When the city was locked down, it seemed as if it were cut off from the rest of the world," she said.
"There were no vehicles and not a soul on the streets, as if the city had been deserted. I had only seen those scenes in movies, and never thought it could be reality."
Wang said that on the morning of her 25th birthday, hours before Wuhan was to be locked down, she received a call urging her to leave the city immediately.
She chose to stay on, as she feared the prospect of leading a nomadic life alone outside of Wuhan.
Along with two teammates who were also stranded in Wuhan, Wang finally left the city to join up with the Chinese national side on April 8 when the lockdown was lifted.
Making her international debut in 2013, Wang has gone on to win 104 caps and score 28 goals for China's national team. She returned to China in July last year after spending a year in the French capital with PSG.
During her spell in Paris, Wang scored eight goals and made seven assists in 27 matches. Enditem
