Stunned officials and coaches fear windsurfing's top-dog position at the Hong Kong Sports Institute is in jeopardy after the sport was controversially replaced by kitesurfing at the 2016 Olympics.
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) shocked the windsurfing world at the weekend when it axed the discipline, with many federations vowing to rally together to try to get the decision overturned.
'If we are not an Olympic sport we may not continue to get support from the government or the Sports Institute, and it will likely affect our position,' said worried Cowen Chiu But-kau, president of the Windsurfing Association of Hong Kong.
Windsurfing is one of 15 elite sports at the academy which this year received a record HK$280 million in government funding. In addition, the government in 2009 earmarked it, along with badminton, cycling and table tennis, for additional funding of HK$1.5 million annually to train athletes for the London Olympics.
'I'm in total disbelief that windsurfing is out of the Olympics [from 2016],' said Hong Kong coach Rene Appel. 'Our discipline ticks all the boxes the ISAF wants for an Olympic class, but I'm surprised to now find out we have been replaced by a sport with no history.'
Kitesurfing is likened to an extreme sport which combines elements of wakeboarding, surfing, windsurfing and paragliding. Harnessing the power of the wind, large kites or sails propel the rider and the board across the water. The Olympics will involve course racing.
Windsurfing has a proud history in Hong Kong, being the only sport to win a gold medal at the Olympics - Lee 'San San' Lai-shan at the 1996 Atlanta Games.