Poser for Li after exam feat
Top junior table tennis player Li Kwan-ngai faces possibly the biggest crossroads of his life after achieving the best scores among the 26 athletes who completed the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations, the results of which were published yesterday.
The 17-year-old opened his result slip yesterday to find he had gained a total of 20 points for the best six subjects, opening the door for further study. 'I expected to get only 16 points,' said the La Salle College student. Now he has to decide whether to pursue his table tennis career full-time or continue with his studies.
'If I choose to continue my studies, it may be too late for me to make further improvements on my sport after graduation from the seventh form.
'If I give up the chance to further my studies, I may not have enough education attainment and may find it difficult to make both ends meet in future,' said Li.
Li said his parents did not put pressure on him to study, instead encouraging him to strive for the best in all areas.
'I really enjoy myself very much in playing table tennis and get used to training two to three hours a day. During the one-month study leave, I had to suspend practice and found it uncomfortable without holding the paddle.' Li said.
Li said he would likely continue studies at his current school, and would not opt for full-time training at this stage. However, he wanted to try to maintain a certain level in table tennis before he decided his future in the sport.
Squash player Chiu Ka-kei, who grabbed a gold medal in the recent World Junior Team Championships, also got a 20-point total in her exams.
The victory had given Chiu additional impetus to devote herself to squash. However, she said that academic achievement was still more significant at this stage and she would go on combining part-time training and study in the coming years.
