This change would hamper the development and reduce the opportunities for locally produced competitors, say representatives of squash and windsurfing, which traditionally have been able to recruit competitors from Hong Kong.

Under existing rules, athletes coming from overseas or the mainland are required to stay in Hong Kong for three years before becoming entitled to a full range of support from the Sports Institute, the premier training centre.

The support includes the cost of overseas training and competition, sports science and medicine as well as a monthly salary through the elite athlete grant.

It is believed that the institute is going to review the policy, which has been in use since the days of the now-defunct Sports Development Board, with a suggestion to relax the number of years from the current three to one when its elite training and athlete affairs committee meets today.

Athletes such as badminton player Zhou Mi, who moved to Hong Kong last year under the government's Quality Migrants Admission Scheme, will benefit from the change if it is adopted. However, many sports worry that the change will stifle home-grown talent.

'We understand that the number of these [imported] athletes is very small at the moment,' said Karl Mak, executive director of Hong Kong Squash. 'But once the rule is relaxed, it will encourage more sports to use imported athletes. At the end of the day, our local athletes will suffer.'

Dennis Chau Wai-keung, executive director of the Hong Kong Windsurfing Association, said since the Sports Institute was using public money, only athletes holding Hong Kong passports should receive support.

'They are using public resources which should only be spent on athletes who hold SAR passports,' Chau said.

Under immigration policy, a person needs to spend seven years in Hong Kong before becoming eligible for an SAR passport.

Vivien Fung Lau Chiang-chu, director of the Sports Institute, said the review was in line with the current policy. 'Many of these newly arrived athletes are now allowed by their respective international federations to take part in the world championships or Asian championships even if they have spent less than three years here,' she said.

'It will be unfair to them if the Sports Institute does not provide them with the support as they are eligible to represent the SAR at these major championships.'

But Chan Chi-choi, head badminton coach at the institute, said the change was a positive one, especially after the government introduced the latest quality migrant scheme.

'I am open on this issue, but if it is the government's objective to attract more talented people to Hong Kong, there should be relevant policies to support them,' he said.

His charge Zhou, who won the women's singles title at the Korean Open last week, receives financial support from the badminton association as she has yet to satisfy the required three-year residency rule.

'I don't think [the change of policy] will affect local athletes as the institute only provides this support to the very elite athletes and their number is small,' he said.

'After all, it is unfair for the association to bear Zhou's training and competition cost.'