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Triathlete Tania Mak So-ning and rower Chow Kwong-wing have been named A.S. Watson Group/HKSDB Outstanding Junior Athlete for the second quarter of 2004 following their outstanding performance during the said period.

17-year-old Tania ranked fourth in the female elite junior event at the 2004 Asian Triathlon Championships held in the Philippines in April then won a silver medal in the same event at the 2004 ITU International Series/Asian Cup Series held in Korea in June.

“I am so glad to receive the Awards,” said Tania, a member of the Watsons Athletic Club. “I would like to express my sincere thanks to my coaches, family and teammates, as well as the support of the scientific specialists.”

The young triathlete was identified by coaches for her outstanding performance in the “Searching for New Sport Stars” Programmme in 2000. She first represented Hong Kong in the Asian Aquathon Championship two years later, finishing second in the female elite junior category.

Chow Kwong-wing, aged 18, started rowing in 2002 and first represented Hong Kong in the Asian Championships in the following year, finishing fifth in the men’s quadruple. This year, Chow showed his talent to win a gold medal in the men’s singles and a silver medal in the men’s doubles at the 10th Asian Junior Rowing Championships held in Japan.

“The Awards scheme offers inspiration to local junior athletes. It is an honour to win the Award which is a recognition for what I've achieved. Although there is still a long way to go, I will work harder in future and hopefully I can participate in the Olympic Games and be as successful as Law Hiu-fung. At the moment, my immediate goal is to become the Asian Champion,” Chow said.

At the prize presentation held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute today (Wednesday), the two recipients each received a cash prize of $2,500, sports gears voucher of $2,500 and a certificate of merit.

The Awards scheme was introduced by the HKSDB in 1999 and has had the support of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China and Hong Kong Sports Press Association. The A.S. Watson Group, a long-term partner of local sport, has committed to a sponsorship deal with the scheme since 2003 in order to provide more extensive support to junior athletes in Hong Kong.