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A total of 104 coaches were honoured at the 2010 Hongkong Bank Foundation (HBF) Coaching Awards Presentation today in recognition of their hard work and effort in coaching Hong Kong’s athletes to achieve sports excellence at major games and other international sporting arena last year.

Raymond Young, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs officiated at the ceremony as a gesture of support of the Government to Hong Kong sport. Young also joined hands with Pang Chung, Hon. Secretary General of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC); Dr Eric Li, Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI); Professor Frank Fu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Coaching Committee (HKCC);and Teresa Au, Head of Corporate Sustainability Asia Pacific Region of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), to pay tribute to the top coaches who have been working hard behind the scene.

Organised by the HKCC and funded by the HBF since 1993, the annual HBF Coaching Awards is the only territory-wide programme to commend the achievements of local coaches from the community to elite levels in nurturing athletes and promoting the sports development in Hong Kong.

Professor Frank Fu, Chairman of the HKCC, said in his welcome speech, “A record high of 155 nominations have been received this year, showing that the Awards scheme has become one of the largest and most anticipated events in the local sporting calendar.” He was also thankful to the government for its support to the Awards, the HBF for its generous and continuous funding to the coach education programme, as well as the National Sports Associations for their effort and cooperation in raising the level of coach education and the profile of coaches.  

Teresa Au, Head of Corporate Sustainability Asia Pacific Region of HSBC, also commended awardees for their effort and enthusiasm. She said, “Behind every great athlete there is a great coach. Coaches are great people who provide the sound advice, the constant support and encouraging words but they do not always get the recognition they deserve. That’s why HBF has been providing a total funding of over HK$26 million to the Coach Education Programme and the Awards since early 1990s.”

Au added, “HBF, celebrating its 30^th Anniversary this year, will make another donation of HK$3.34 million in support of the Hong Kong Coach Education Programme for 2011-2013, enabling more than 12,000 coaches from the community, schools and elite levels to get continuous training and accreditation qualification.

2010 HBF Coaching Awards were presented in six categories, namely Coach of the Year Awards, Distinguished Services Award for Coaching, Best Team Sport Coach Award, Coach Education Award, Coaching Excellence Awards and Community Coach Recognition Awards.

There were five recipients in the Coach of the Year Awards this year. Cycling coach Shen Jinkang and wheelchair fencing coach Zheng Kangzhao shared the honour in the senior athletes, individual sport category while table tennis coaches Li Huifen repeated her victory in the senior athletes, team event category.  In the junior athletes category, the Coach of the Year Awards for individual sport and team event went to wushu coach Wong Chi-kwong and badminton coach Liu Zhiheng respectively. 

Veteran cycling coach Shen Jinkang earned his fifth Coach of the Year title in the senior athletes, individual sport category. Under his high performance coaching, Hong Kong cycling team bagged 3 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games (AG), winning the applause of Hong Kong people and marking a significant milestone for the sport at the AG.

Wheelchair fencing coach Zheng Kangzhao collected his sixth Coach of the Year title in the senior athletes, individual sport category this year. Zheng led the wheelchair fencing team to win 3 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals at the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Championships 2010 followed by 1 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals at the Asian Para Games last year.

Table Tennis coach Li Huifen captured her fourth consecutive Coach of the Year title in the senior athletes, team event category since 2007. Li coached the women’s team to return with remarkable results from many international competitions in 2010 including Cheung Yuk and Jiang Huajun who snatched a silver medal in the mixed doubles at the AG.
 
Wushu coach Wong Chi-kwong won his second Coach of the Year Award title in the junior athletes, individual sport category after leading up-and-coming athletes to win 3 gold and 1 bronze medals at the 3^rd World Junior Wushu Championships.

It was also the second Coach of the Year title in the junior athletes, team event category for badminton coach Liu Zhiheng. Under his guidance, promising players Lee Chun-hei and Ng Ka-long took a bronze medal in the men’s doubles at the BWF World Junior Championships 2010 and a silver medal at the Dutch Junior International 2010.

Distinguished Services Award for Coaching went to rowing coach Wong Chi-wai in recognition of his long-term commitment to the sport. Wong has served as a coach of the Hong Kong rowing team since 1986 and helped many athletes including Kwan Ki-cheong, Leung Chun-chek, Liao Shun-yin and Tang Chiu-mang achieve outstanding performances in major competitions over the years.

Rugby coach Rees Dai caught the eyes of judges to win the title of Best Team Sport Coach Award for the first time after leading the Hong Kong rugby team to win a silver medal at the AG last year.

Leung Yung-kit added flying colors to rugby’s winning list by capturing the Coach Education Award. Being involved in coaching, Leung has also served as the key lecturer and course designer of the coach education programme since 1993 and an International Rugby Board Rugby Coach Educator since 2005.

The Coaching Excellence Awards were presented to a historic high record of 79 coaches who led an athlete or a team to achieve outstanding performance at many major international competitions in 2010, while 24 coaches were presented with the Community Coach Recognition Awards for having made a special contribution to the development of athletes and coaches in the community for a period of not less than three consecutive years.

Last but not the least, karatedo athlete Chan Ka-man played a special role on floor this year to invite some guests and athletes to share their views on the strenuous efforts and contribution of coaches to local sport.

The HKCC, a joint committee of the SF&OC and the HKSI, was established in 1991 with aims of formulating and implementing short-term and long-term strategies for the development of coach education and accreditation programmes in Hong Kong.  The Hong Kong Coach Education Programme has been funded by the HBF with a total commitment of more than HK$26 million since 1992.  Throughout the years, over 74,000 coaches have benefited from the training and recognition programmes in the Programme.

List of Recipients for the 2010 Hongkong Bank Foundation Coaching Awards (PDF)