HK expected to produce the goods in table tennis, badminton and windsurfing
Hong Kong will send a Beijing Games squad only slightly larger than the one for Athens 2004, but Olympic committee secretary-general Pang Chung says they have realistic medal ambitions in at least three sports.
So far, 32 members of the squad have been confirmed, with a further two athletics wild-card picks expected to be known this month. Hong Kong sent 32 athletes to Athens and earned one silver medal, in the men's doubles table tennis competition.
With windsurfer Lee Lai-shan having clinched Hong Kong's only other Olympic medal - gold in the women's mistral at the 1996 Atlanta Games - a return of more than one medal would represent the territory's best performance.
'I think we have put together a strong squad with real medal hopes in a number of events, such as the two team events in table tennis, the women's singles in badminton and windsurfing, in which weather conditions will play a pivotal role,' said Pang.
'Hong Kong's athletes have proved themselves throughout the qualifying process and now they need to take it a step further on the big stage. I am confident they will do us proud.'
Pang said he was satisfied to assemble a squad high in quality rather than in numbers, even though it had originally been hoped they would be able to send a bumper-size contingent in light of this being a 'home' Olympiad.