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Organised by the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), the Sports for Hope Foundation (SFHF) Outstanding Junior Athlete Awards (OJAA) presentation ceremony for the 3^rd quarter is held in the HKSI today. Paid off for their hard work, the 14 awardees share the joy of being elected Outstanding Junior Athletes with their family, friends and coaches.

Dr Trisha Leahy, Chief Executive of the HKSI; Mr Tony Yue MH, JP, Vice-President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC); Mr Chu Hoi-kun, Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Press Association (HKSPA) and Mr Marco Ku, representative of SFHF, officiated at the Ceremony

Awardees of this quarter are Fung Tik-lam and Hui Wing-ki (rowing), Ho Tze-ho, Tang Cheuk-yan, Yeung Ho-wai and Yip Tsz-fung (squash), Hung Ka-tak and Soo Wai-yam (table tennis), Chau Kin-ching and Cheng Chun-leung (windsurfing), Chan Cheuk-lam and Lau Chi-lung (wushu), Tang Wai-lok (swimming - Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped [HKSAM]), Yeung Hiu-lam (boccia - Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled [HKPC&SAPD]).

Representing different sports, awardees of the OJAA share the same view that the award serves as a form of recognition for their performance and effort. Squash player Yeung Ho-wai, together with his teammates Ho Tze-ho, Tang Cheuk-yan and Yip Tsz-fung, ranked 5^th in the men’s team at the Doha WSF World Junior Squash Championships 2012. With eminent performance, Yeung, Yip and Ho are named Outstanding Junior Athlete for the second time. All of them are grateful for the support of the SFHF.  Yeung said, “Being named an outstanding junior athlete definitely boosted my morale and I am determined to work even harder in the days to come.” Holding the same view is windsurfer Chau Kin-ching, who ranked 7^th at the RS:X Girls in the 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth Worlds held in Ireland in July. Being elected an outstanding junior athlete the first time, Chau is glad that her effort is being recognised. “Every medal is won by sweat and toil. Being awarded this time has strengthened my determination as an athlete,” she added.

It is only by painstaking and continual hard work that the outstanding junior athletes can get the successful achievements we see today, this is something table tennis players Soo Wai-yam and Hung Ka-tak believe in strongly. Soo was named the champion in both the cadet girls’ singles and cadet girls’ team at the Nikon 2012 Hong Kong Junior & Cadet Open, while Hung received 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal in the cadet boys’ doubles, cadet boys’ team and cadet boys’ singles respectively at the same competition.  Both Soo and Hung earn the title of Outstanding Junior Athlete for the second time. When asked about their most unforgettable experience as an athlete, Soo recalled the first national training camp she attended in China in 2011. Strict discipline was upheld and apparent improvement was seen during that training.  Hung sees Olympic silver medalist, Ko Lai-chak, as his role model and would like to attain the same sporting achievement as Ko one day in the future.

Being the first time winners, rowers Fung Tik-lam and Hui Wing-ki had demonstrated the persistence to excel despite repeated failures, which is a character of successful athletes.  After competing at the junior women double Scull at the 18^th Asian Junior Rowing Championships for three consecutive years without any prize, Hui did not give up and turned out to be the 1^st runner up in the recent race.  Hui said, “I did not win any prize in the championship held in the past three years, but I did gain some experience, and I finally managed to breakthrough in the fourth year.” She and her teammate Fung claimed that they would continue to work hard in training. “This year’s championship means much to me, I hope I can compete in large-scale competitions such as the Asian Cup and the World Cup in the future,” she aspired.

Athletes awarded Certificates of Merit for this quarter are Lee Chun-hei and Ng Ka-long (badminton), Tam Nigvi and Wong Wing-kwan (karatedo), Chan Yi-nam and Mok Sin-ying (figure skating) and Ting Chun-yin (finswimming).

The SFHF Outstanding Junior Athlete Awards is organised by the HKSI and sponsored by SFHF, with support from the SF&OC and the HKSPA.  They recognise the achievements of outstanding local junior athletes under the age of 19 on a quarterly basis.  Each recipient is presented with a cash prize of HK$2,500, a voucher worth HK$2,500 and a certificate.

Awardees’ Achievements in the 3^rd Quarter of 2012 (PDF)