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Nazvi Careem

Hong Kong will send a 73-strong squad, comprising 63 athletes, to next month's East Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.

 The Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee (ASF&OC) said yesterday that Hong Kong will take part in six medal sports and two demonstration sports.

 Of the eight sports, swimming will have the largest squad with 14 athletes, including one diver.

 Hong Kong will also compete in athletics, badminton, gymnastics, judo and wushu.

 Rowing, which gave the territory a gold medal in the inaugural Games four years ago in Shanghai, and tenpin bowling, are the demonstration sports.

 ASF&OC president A. de O. Sales said athletes went through a strict selection process.

 'First of all, associations were asked to indicate their intention to take part, and there was a deadline for that,' said Sales.

 'Associations were then told to pick athletes according to their standards relative to the countries taking part.

 'They were then asked to compare standards relative to Asia and finally, the world.

 'The selectors also had updated information on world rankings and standards.'  Sales said the squad had to be cut from an original 147-strong entry list to 63.

 He added the decisions to exclude some sports from the Hong Kong squad were made by the associations.

 'The federation did not reject any applications. Those sports which are not taking part decided not to enter.'  Hong Kong will only be represented in individual sports at the Games. The Hong Kong Football Association, which harboured hopes of competing, eventually deciding to skip the May 9-19 Games.

 The territory are hoping to be amongst the medals next month, although the inclusion of Kazakhstan this year will make it harder.

 Wushu expert Leung Yat-ho, a double Asian Games silver medallist, will be aiming for gold while female hurdler Chan Sau-ying is hoping to better her bronze medal at the Shanghai Games in 1993.

 Sales said the team cannot be changed even if an athlete suffers an injury between now and the opening ceremony.

 'The deadline for entries was the 10th of April, so the squad is final. This is not our deadline but the deadline of the organisers.' 



Games squad the cream of territory's athletic crop