ATHLETICS
FORMER star junior sprinter Phoebe Leung Wai-kwan has returned to the territory after studying in Canada for two years, determined to earn a place in the Hongkong athletic team for next year's Hiroshima Asian Games.
Leung, a three-time Coca-Cola Junior Sports Stars award-winner, still holds the national junior record for the 100 metres sprint. Her time of 12.06 seconds was set in 1987 when she was a budding 15-year-old.
She is devoting her full attention to training, working out every day either at the Hongkong Sports Institute or her alma mater, Good Hope School.
''I stopped training for two months prior to my return to Hongkong just before Christmas, because I was studying for my exam, so I'm not fully fit yet,'' said Leung.
''My coach (Good Hope teacher Raymond Tam Yiu-chung) doesn't want me to go into competition without regaining my full fitness and I'll just concentrate on my training for the time being.'' Tam has marked down March 28 as the date when Leung makes her return to the track, but only to compete in the women's 4 x 100 metres relay for the Citizen's Athletics Association team.
SWIMMING Hongkong's fastest woman swimmer Robyn Lamsam underlined her potential by setting another two national records at the World Cup short course meeting in Sheffield, England.
Freestyle specialist Lamsam, the territory's lone representative at the high profile gala, set national marks in the 100 metres and 400 metres events.
The 16-year-old clocked 58.27 seconds for the sprint to shave 0.33 of a second off her own record and followed it up by setting an impressive 4 min 22.47 sec for the 400 m.
Fenella Ng Ka-lok's old Hongkong record for the longer race was more than 13 seconds slower but it was already broken by Lamsam last week in Malmoe, Sweden.
National coach Bill Sweetenham was delighted with Lamsam's continuous improvement and strongly believed the Diocesan Girls' School student would be in line for medals at the Hiroshima Asiad.
Sweetenham said: ''This was a very tough trip and for Robyn to set two national records after a week of hard racing in three countries speaks for her potential.
''Actually, this tour was to toughen her up and get her used to the travelling and I'm very pleased she stood up well to the schedule.'' Lamsam also took part in the World Cup meeting in Gelsinkirchen, Germany.
SQUASH Budding squash player Wong Wai-hang pulled off a major upset when he beat Asian champion Jackie Lee Chun-kit in the final of the Junior Grand Prix at the Hongkong Squash Centre.
La Salle College's Lee was the firm favourite to win the title on the strength of his past performances, including his success at the Asian Junior Championships in Singapore only a fortnight ago.
The 16-year-old Hongkong star upstaged top-seeded Malaysian Kenneth Low and defeated two Pakistani players on his way to the Asian crown.
He started the Grand Prix event promisingly enough with straight games wins over Yiu Wai-ming and Wong Wai-chung and looked set to clinch the title without dropping a game as he took a 2-0 lead in the final against Wong Wai-hang.
But second-seeded Wong Wai-hang, a student at the Lau Pak Lok Secondary School, bounced back with vengeance to win the next three games and took the match 5-9, 8-10, 9-0, 9-3, 9-6.
Rebecca Chiu Wing-yin showed plenty of promise in the women's Grand Prix, finishing third against open company with a most impressive performance in her final match.
The 13-year-old Jockey Club Ti-I College pupil beat Currie Siu Kit-bing and junior rival Sally Hawkes in her first two matches but was unfortunate to come up against ''retired'' professional Dawn Olsen in the semi-final.
She tamely lost in straight games to Olsen but made amends in the play-off for third position, beating Hongkong international Ann Chan Yuk-ngan comprehensively by 10-8, 9-0, 9-2.
ROWING The Hongkong Amateur Rowing Association has started a recruitment drive for new blood, visiting schools to test youngsters interested in learning the sport.
Hongkong team coach Sam Wong Chi-wai said: ''We have already visited several schools and the response has been terrific. The students were given fitness tests.
''We will continue with the programme and those with outstanding performance in the tests will be invited to join the Hongkong Sports Institute rowing development squad.'' Rowing has developed rapidly in Hongkong after former Pui Ying College teacher Ho Kim-fai won the territory's first ever rowing medal at the 1989 Asian Championships.
Hongkong representatives were also successful at the last two Asian Junior Championships and the territory is now recognised as a rowing power in the region only behind China and on par with Japan, South Korea and North Korea.
Wong said: ''We will have a public recruitment session at the Hongkong Sports Institute on February 28 and we would welcome any student from schools we haven't yet visited.''
