Fencer tipped for hat-trick

Wheelchair fencer Ben Cheung Wai-leung is strongly tipped to pick up his third Nike/Hong Kong Sports Institute Athlete of the Month award later this month.

The four-gold medallist at the Atlanta Paralympics is likely to beat four other contestants after winning the Class A men's foil individual, epee individual and the men's foil and epee team events in Atlanta.

The 36-year-old fireman won the award twice this year - the last time in June after his performance at the Italy Invitation Wheelchair Fencing Championship in Pisa where he won a gold in the men's individual foil and a bronze in the men's individual epee.

Five local athletes and one team are vying for the award with 16-year-old junior fencer Kong Chi-chung also a contender after his bronze medal performance in the men's sabre individual in the under-17 event of the Asian Youth/Cadet Fencing Championships in Indonesia.

Other contenders include badminton player Liu Kwok-wah, champion in the under-18 boys' singles in the Prince Asian Junior Badminton invitational championship.

Kwok-wah beat 15 players from 10 Asian countries and cities including China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand to win the title.

Hong Kong-born water-skier Jonathan Cannon is also a contender after his excellent performance in three overseas championships.

He was champion in the China National Water Skiing Championship.

He also secured 13th and eighth position in the Asian Australasian Water Ski Championships and 10th Asian Water Ski Championships respectively last month.

Swimmer Alex Fong Lik-sun will also come into calculations after breaking the men's 200 metres backstroke Hong Kong record last month in the 10th Asia Pacific Age Group Swimming Championships in South Korea.

The Hong Kong cycling junior team, comprising Kan Koon-hang, Ho Sin-lun, Leung Chi-yin, Lau Ching-ho, Wong Ka-ho and Tseng Kai-ming, is bidding for the monthly honour as the only team entrant.

The cyclists were second overall in the 60 km individual road race at the recent All China National Junior Championships.