Two of Hong Kong's leading hopes for an Olympic medal, table tennis players Chai Po-wa and Chan Tan-lui, have had only an hour's practice together over the past 14 months. The lack of practice could prove crucial for the gifted pair - seeded third in the women's doubles event in Atlanta.
The seeding should offer them a realistic chance of winning the bronze, which would make them the territory's first athletes to bring home an Olympic medal. Chan and Chai trained together on Saturday - the first time since last year's World Championships in Tianjin, China - after Chai returned from training in Beijing and Chan from a 10-day stint in Guangzhou.
The pair have not trained or played together at any time other than their short workout at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, although both were in the territory for at least four days after returning from their training stints.
Chan, who is studying sports administration in Australia and whose singles ranking has slipped to 24th in the world, admitted that preparations for Atlanta have been less than ideal.
At Kai Tak Airport yesterday, Chai said it was unfortunate that they had practised so little together. When pressed for an explanation, Chai said she had been ill.
Hong Kong coach David Cheng Chung-kin confirmed that Chai had not been feeling well since returning from Beijing. 'The girls have not had much training since returning to the territory,' Cheng said.
'Chai was sick so how could she train hard? She needed a few days' rest.' Chai, who is ranked seventh in the world, showed no signs of her illness yesterday when she left for the Olympics. The seven-member Hong Kong table tennis team, led by association chairman Tony Yue Kwok-leung, flew to Seoul to connect with a direct flight to Atlanta.
