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SCMP Reporter

NEWCOMERS Asia Insurance are overwhelming favourites to dethrone South China Brokerage and complete the Premier League double when the two sides meet in the play-off final at the Hongkong Squash Centre tonight.

   Asia Insurance have already clinched the round-robin league crown and they should prove much too strong for a depleted South China outfit.

   South China will be without their number one Andrew Shum Siu-chung. The scholarship player left for Europe after leading South China to a semi-final victory over Hongkong Football Club last week.

   He will be playing tournaments in Sweden, Germany and France during his month-long trip.

   Taking over at number one for South China will be Dick Leung Kan-fai, who faces a daunting task against Tony Choi Yuk-kwan even though the former Hongkong champion is nursing a swollen right knee.

   Choi said: ''My knee is giving me a bit of trouble but I've been having treatment over the past week and I'm hopeful it can hold up for the match.

   ''There is no reason why I shouldn't go into the match with a positive attitude despite the injury because Dick has never beaten me before and I have the psychological advantage.''    South China have recalled Kent Li Kwok-ho out of retirement to play at number two but the veteran will have to be at his fittest against the vastly improved Sunny Poon Yat-sing.

   Li is a former four-time national champion but has played only sparsely in the last two years because of a nagging back injury and it is doubtful if he can recapture his old form in time to cope with Poon.

   Asia Insurance are without regular number three Fayyaz Mohammad, who is on holiday in Pakistan, but Yang Man-sum should still have the edge over South China's Au Chun-tat in the clash of the two St Joseph's College students.



Insurers with winning look