Awards offer boost for HK's rising stars
The women's junior squash team were thrilled to be chosen as the SAR's best-performing sports team for 2005 at the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai earlier this week.
The girls - Annie Au Wing-chi, Joey Chan Ho-ling, Chiu Ka-kei and Leung Shin-nga, all school students - were rewarded for their fantastic World Championship victory in Belgium last year, where they beat title favourites Egypt in the final. They also won the Asian junior title in India.
Annie was also one of the six winners in the Junior Stars category on Tuesday night.
'I had less confidence about the team award, as we had never won it before,' she said. 'For the individual award, it is a big surprise as there were so many good nominees. Squash was not part of the East Asian Games, or the National Games, so I thought we only had a small chance.'
The other winners in the junior category were table tennis player Chiu Chung-hei, badminton ace Yip Pui-yin, artistic cyclist Tsang Yu-sum, mentally handicapped swimmer Leung Shu-hang and BMX rider Stephen Wong.
'I'm very glad and overjoyed, it's a big surprise,' said Chung-hei, who won the 11-and-under singles category at the All-China National Junior Table Tennis Competition last May.
'I think I am one of the youngest nominees, but I had some good results in 2005, and that is why I won. The trophy is very big and heavy.'
Yip exceeded expectations by beating a top-ranked Japanese player at the World Championships in California last year. She then gave world number one Zhang Ning a fright, taking the first set in a 2-1 defeat.
'It felt exciting to be up there on the stage,' said the 18-year-old. 'It's a very important award for Hong Kong athletes. You are measured against all the best young athletes in Hong Kong. People vote online, too, and the public must have given me a lot of votes.'
Yu-sum arrived at the ceremony minutes after the awards were announced.
'My friend told me that I had won when I arrived, and I couldn't believe it,' said the 13-year-old, who won a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok.
'It's a great honour and I want to thank my family and coaches for their tremendous support.'
Seven athletes won the potential sports stars awards - Chan Yan-kit (badminton), Chow Yuen-ying (sports for the mentally handicapped), Hui Wai-sum (triathlon), Kwok Hoi-ying (sports for the physically disabled), Tse Kin-hay (swimming), Wong Kwan-ping (body-building) and Yu Pok-man (cycling).
