Hong Kong athletes demonstrate our can-do spirit
2 September 2018
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| Photo courtesy of SF&OC. |
Good news has kept coming on the achievements of Hong Kong athletes at the 2018 Asian Games, running from 18 August to 2 September in Indonesia. Our team’s brilliant results in various sports have shone in that international arena and made the people of Hong Kong so proudly excited. My heartiest congratulations!
The Government gives its full backing to the Hong Kong team for the Asian Games, which includes funding for them to prepare for and participate in the competition.
Through the Elite Athletes Development Fund, about $600 million has been allocated in 2018-19 for the Hong Kong Sports Institute to provide comprehensive training programmes and support for elite athletes, including about 230 elite athletes in 17 elite sports for the Games. In addition, about $29 million has been allocated through the Arts and Sport Development Fund to help train about 350 athletes in another 19 sports for the Games and subsidise the Hong Kong delegation’s trip to Indonesia.
The athletes, by accomplishing exciting breakthroughs and living out our can-do spirit, have written a new page in Hong Kong’s sports history.
A new best result was set for us in the squash men’s singles when AU Chun-ming and LEE Ho-yin battled against each other in the final to clinch the gold and silver medals. This is surely a showcase of the strength of our sportsmen. Our squash players continued to shine taking home the women’s team gold – the city’s seventh gold in this edition of the Games – and the men’s team silver.
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| Photo courtesy of SF&OC. |
The equestrian team has also set a new best. Jacqueline SIU Wing-ying partnered her mount Jockey Club Fuerst on Tour to victory in the dressage competition, winning the first championship in this equine sport and bagging Hong Kong’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in equestrian. This is the fourth Asian Games for Jacqueline. Having ranked fourth in two previous attempts, the rider earned her first Asian Games gold medal this year, proving that her efforts over the years have paid off.
Defending vault champion SHEK Wai-hung snatched his second Asian Games gold in a row. Neither of the wins have come easy. The road was tough to say the least, coupled with injuries and stress. Yet he pressed on and worked doubly hard, culminating in the success today.
In track cycling, LEE Wai-sze showed the demeanour of a great athlete as she claimed the keirin and sprint golds to become our first double-champion at two consecutive Asian Games. With a record of five golds in three editions of the Games, she now tops Hong Kong’s list of Asian Games gold medallists. Her fellow cyclists CHEUNG King-lok and LEUNG Chun-wing also struck gold in the madison event.
In men’s rugby sevens, the Hong Kong team earned a gold by beating Japan 14-0 in the final. Separately, in women’s 100m hurdles, our city’s history of athletics was also rewritten with the bronze medal won by LUI Lai-yiu.
Our team competing in bridge, a new event for this year, added two silvers and two bronzes to the tally. Badminton players TANG Chun-man and TSE Ying-suet won a historic silver in the mixed doubles. The fencing team also surpassed its own records by finishing their events with two silvers and six bronzes. In karate, LAU Mo-sheung and CHOI Wan-yu won in the women’s kata and kumite -61kg events respectively and were awarded a bronze medal each for the first time.
Apart from the medal count, a number of other breakthroughs were made. For instance, Hong Kong beat Indonesia in the men’s baseball to taste the first victory over three editions of the Games, and players entered the quarter-finals for the first time in the men’s handball and women’s football.
Every success has a story behind it. And the stories of our athletes who have made it to the Games are certainly inspirational. They are true life stories about how the athletes give full play to their talents through a journey of successes, failures and challenges. The sportsmanship they have displayed is touching and the feeling will linger even after the curtain of the Games comes down.
As the Asian Games draws to a close, the 580 athletes are going to return home with joy and glory. A celebration reception will be hosted by the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China in honour of our sports heroes to celebrate the Hong Kong legend they have created at the Games.
The Government attaches great importance to sports. Our most significant investment in sports infrastructure will present to the public the Kai Tak Sports Park, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of $31.9 billion and accommodate a wide range of high-quality sports facilities. The park is expected to help further promote the sports development of Hong Kong by attracting more major sports events to the city, creating more opportunities for our athletes to compete at a home venue, and bringing more high-level competitions to the community.
As at the tender closing date on 10 August, two tenders have been received for the design, construction and operation contract for the park. It is expected that tender assessment will be concluded and contract awarded in the second half of 2018, in the hope of completing the construction works between 2022 and 2023. When in operation, the park will become an engine for Hong Kong’s future sports development.
“Hong Kong athletes are not rubbish!” proclaimed Olympic gold medallist LEE Lai-shan years ago. Her words have remained vivid in my mind ever since. In pursuit of their goals and dreams, our sportsmen and sportswomen have put in tremendous hard work and shown indomitable perseverance to push beyond their limits.
With untiring efforts and outstanding achievements, the Hong Kong team have well demonstrated our people’s can-do spirit, and are excellent role models for our younger generations.
