Death-defying women fight rejection
The women's section of the Hong Kong Hockey Association (HKHA) will appeal against the decision to exclude a women's team from November's Asian Games despite their having 'risked life and limb' to qualify.
The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (SF&OC) has decided not to send a women's team to Guangzhou even though the Hong Kong team met the standard by finishing fourth in a qualifying tournament held in Bangkok during the deadly political riots in May. 'We're upset that we have been turned down. Hopefully, the SF&OC will overturn its decision and allow us to go to Guangzhou,' said Kitty Yau Yuen-ki, vice-chairman of the HKHA women's section.
'We finished fourth behind Taiwan, Kazahkstan and Thailand in Bangkok [out of five teams, ahead of Singapore], so we deserve to go to Guangzhou,' she said.
'We would not have gone to Bangkok had we known we wouldn't qualify. Our association paid for our trip to Bangkok. A lot of members of the squad were very concerned about the situation in Bangkok at the time and we left the decision to go there until very late.'
Tensions were high during the riots in Bangkok, which left more than 40 dead in Thailand's worst political violence in nearly 20 years. But despite the disruptions, which paralysed much of the Thai capital, the qualifying tournament still went ahead.
Hong Kong's women's ranking is actually above Kazakhstan and Thailand as the number six ranked team in Asia. Hong Kong's world ranking is 32 - higher than the men's team's world ranking of 54. But still Hong Kong are sending only a men's team to Guangzhou.
The SF&OC is unlikely to overturn its decision, with secretary general Pang Chung saying the selection committee had already considered Hong Kong's performance in the tournament. 'Members of the selection committee decided not to pick the team in view of the competition results being below par,' Pang said.
'All athletes and teams have to attain outstanding performances in the previous multi-sports games, Asian championships or world championships in order to be selected to participate in the Asian Games.'
