News

The annual celebration and 4^th quarter 2014 presentation ceremony of the Sports for Hope Foundation (SFHF) Outstanding Junior Athlete Awards (OJAA) was held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) today.  For this quarter, a total of 17 junior athletes were presented with awards in recognition of their outstanding achievements.  To conclude the 2014 sporting performance, three annual awards were also presented at the Ceremony.  

Table tennis player Doo Hoi-kem made the OJAA history by winning both the Most Outstanding Junior Athlete and the Most Promising Junior Athlete at the same time.  The former is presented to an awardee who has won a medal at a 5-point competition rated under the Elite Vote Scoring Table while the latter is honoured to an athlete who has been awarded three times or more in the year.  The competition for the Most Outstanding Junior Athlete Award was particularly keen this year, since four other young athletes also met the awarding criteria.  The judging panel eventually decided to present the Outstanding Junior Athlete in 2014 to Lau Chi-lung, Yeung Chung-hei and Zhuang Jiahong (wushu) and Tsang Kung-yuen (athletics – Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped, HKSAM).

The Hong Kong Badminton Association and the Hong Kong Table Tennis Association were elected as the Most Supportive National Sports Association for their submission of the highest number of successful nominations in this year. 

The officiating guests at the ceremony were Dr Trisha Leahy BBS, Chief Executive of the HKSI; Mr Pui Kwan-kay BBS MH, 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 Miss Marie-Christine Lee, Founder of the SFHF. 

The awardees of this quarter are Ng Tsz-yau and Yeung Nga-ting (badminton), Liu Kai-sum and Liu Wan-hin (dancesport), Ho Long-sze and Law Hei-tung (fencing), Chan Man-fung and Ma Pak-hong (roller sport), Jamie Yeung (swimming), Doo Hoi-kem, Lam Yee-lok, Liu Qi, Soo Wai-yam (table tennis), Yeung Chung-hei and Zhuang Jiahong (wushu), Choi Wa-kit (swimming –  HKSAM) and Ng Mui-wui (table tennis – HKSAM).

Table tennis player Doo Hoi-kem, a familiar face for this Award, earned her 12^th title again in this quarter by sealing a bronze podium finish with her teammate at the 2014 World Junior Table Tennis Championships held in Shanghai, China.  Doo said excitedly, “Although I have been awarded the title many times, I still take it as a driving force to do better.  For junior athletes, the Award is an important recognition that motivates us.  Being named both the Most Outstanding Junior Athlete and the Most Promising Junior Athlete of 2014 are definitely the icing on the cake.  I will strive to excel in the coming games with an ultimate plan to qualify for the Rio Olympics.”

Swimmer Jamie Yeung, 17 years old, received her first OJAA title by grasping a bronze medal in the women’s 50m breaststroke event at the FINA/Masterbank Swimming World Cup 2014 – Hong Kong.  Yeung sincerely thanked the HKSI and SFHF for the Award as it encourages young athletes to keep pursuing their sporting dreams.  As a medallist of the Asian Youth Games in 2013, she particularly enjoyed the moment she stood on the medal podium, watching the bauhinia flag of the HKSAR flying high and it was one of her most unforgettable experiences so far.    

Wushu player Yeung Chung-hei received his first-ever Award after winning 1 gold and 1 silver at the men’s group A 39 forms Taijijian and men’s group A Yang Style Taijiquan event respectively at the 1^st World Taijiquan Championships held in Chengdu, China.  He recalled his first encounter with Tai Chi was not favourable at all, “I wanted to give up on Tai Chi because I thought the movement was slow and not rhythmical at all.  However, when I understood more about the true spirit of Tai Chi, I had a new insight in it.”  Yeung will use the reward to purchase better gear and is now preparing for the World Wushu Championships.  His teammate, Zhuang Jiahong also brought home with 1 gold and 1 silver medal from the men’s group A optional Taijijian and men’s group A optional Taijiquan event respectively at the same competition. 

In addition, Yu Chuen-yiu (kart), Leung Hiu-sum and Tang Yuk-man (rowing), Hong Kong under 20s rugby sevens team (rugby), Lau Tsz-kwan and Yuen Tsun-hei (squash), Lam Ching and Wong Hong-kit (tennis), Camden Avery Richter and Shuen Chun-kit (triathlon), and Liu Wing-tung (boccia – Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled) were awarded the Certificate of Merit for this quarter.

Organised by the HKSI and sponsored by the Sports for Hope Foundation from 2012, with support from the SF&OC and the HKSPA, the OJAA recognises 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 sports voucher worth HK$2,500 and a certificate.

The HKSI is the Government’s elite sport training systems delivery agent and is committed to provide an environment in which sports talent can be identified, nurtured, and developed to pursue excellence in the international sporting arena and to inspire potential athletes to pursue a full-time sports career.

Awardees’ Achievements in the 4^th Quarter (PDF)