A RIFT is believed to have developed between members of Hong Kong's silver medal-winning 4 x 100 metres Asian Games team following their surprise omission from next month's annual Coca-Cola Sports Stars awards.
The foursome of Robyn Lamsam, Katie Lau, Vivian Lee and Fenella Ng won silver at the Hiroshima Games in October, following the disqualification of the drug-tainted Chinese, and were one of the favourites to pick up the team prize at the Sports Stars awards.
However, the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association (HKASA) was unable to submit the team's entry as one of the swimmers, Lau, did not complete the application forms.
It is widely believed within swimming circles that Lau's family was upset she was not put forward for one of the individual awards, although this was denied by her father, Edmund Lau.
Lamsam is one of the candidates for the junior individual awards while Ng and top men's swimmer Michael Wright were entered for the senior individual awards.
Michelle Wong, of the HKASA, said: 'The parents of one of the swimmers did not complete all the particulars and if that happens, there is not much we can do.' Edmund Lau said his daughter's withdrawal from the awards was not to spite the other swimmers.
