bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Badminton star Amy Chan Lim-chee is a celebrity and a household name.

   Her face is familiar to anybody who watches TV or reads the newspapers. Over the years she has succeeded both in Hong Kong and in the international arena.

   Now that her illustrious sports career has come to an end, she has turned to helping and inspiring Hong Kong's future sports stars.

 For the past five years, Chan has been in charge of commercial operations at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), where she works with elite athletes training under HKSI scholarships.

  With her wide sports experience she is an ideal choice for the job of helping sportsmen face the rigours and challenges of a sports career.

 Chan has had an impressive career.

    She took up badminton as a teenager, and was soon notching up triumph after triumph. She won the Hong Kong badminton ladies' championship 10 times.

   In the late '70s she was a gold medallist at the Beijing Asian Games and the Hangzhou World Badminton Championships. With her mixed doubles partner Chan Chi-choi, she won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, and a gold medal in the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

   With all her experience and commitment, Chan makes an excellent role model for young people.

  'I know what they are going through because I have been through it all myself,' Chan says.

   'With so many things in common I feel I'm in a good position to help them, in their sports careers and even other areas.

  'It can be a lonely road for athletes. There is the gruelling daily training, and on top of that there could be other pressures, from studies or family.'   As manager of the Athlete Affairs Department, set up just one year ago, Chan liaises between the sportsmen and the administration, a link that was overlooked previously.

   'Some of the athletes even quit sports without the HKSI ever knowing why,' she said.

  Chan knows all about the sacrifices a sportsman must make.

  'To be a really good athlete you have to give up many things, and at a very young age. You have no time for socialising, your circle of friends is limited, and all your other goals have to take second place.'   'Your mind is set on just one goal - to excel on the track or on the court.

  'But it is also most important that these young athletes, like other youngsters, grow up into mature people, strong both physically and psychologically.'    Chan's department offers education and career counselling for the HKSI's 250 athletes, whose ages range from 12 to 40.

   It also manages the HKSI's 60-resident hostel, the recreational programmes and other areas relating to athletes' welfare.

    'Sportsmen need more than just facilities for training, eating and sleeping.

  'They need encouragement and support. Families and schools should give them due recognition,' Chan said.

  Facilities at the centre include rooms where the athletes can socialise, read or study. These are especially useful to young sports people who are attending school or engaged in self-study programmes.

  There is also accommodation for non-hostel athletes needing a break between training schedules.

  'Athletes should not be allowed to get bored with their routine. They need to develop as well-rounded personalities,' Chan said.



Help for aspiring athletes