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A LATE withdrawal has left Asian Games hopeful Fenella Ng Gar-loc a frustrated spectator at the 20th Hong Kong Rowing Championships.

 Ng, who was due to take part in the women's open category, has been denied what would have been a useful workout at the Sha Tin Rowing Centre after her opponent in today's straight final, Yuen Oi-lin, pulled out of the event yesterday. Instead, Ng's participation in this weekend's Rowing Championships will be limited to coxing her Sha Tin Sports Association colleagues in the open eights competition.

 'I would have liked to have taken part this weekend but it's not a big problem.

 'The open is not my event anyway so in terms of my training for the Asian Games, this weekend was really not that important. It's just an opportunity to have a bit of fun more than anything,' Ng added.

 Ng had plenty of that yesterday as she coxed the STSA eight to second place behind the powerful Royal Hong Kong Yacht crew in the afternoon's heats.

 'That was my first time coxing and I think it showed at times. I enjoyed it though . . . it's a lot easier than rowing, that's for sure,' said a smiling Ng.

 Ng's foray into coxing also saw her link up with five of her Hong Kong teammates in the Sha Tin eight.

 Li Ho-yin, Lam Wing-sang, Lo Yan-chak, Lo Sing-yan and Liu Kam-chi all took part in the heats yesterday.

 'The crew did really well today. Yacht Club have got a lot of big powerful guys in their eight and they were just a little bit too much for us, but hopefully we can battle through the repechage tomorrow,' she said.

 Hong Kong's Thailand-bound squad are all racing in non-specialist events this weekend. Coach Chris Perry has said he does not want to give Japan and Sri Lanka, who both have Asian Games rowers in their squads, a chance to get a preview of Hong Kong's rowing talent.

 Hong Kong's coaches are also wary of damaging confidence in the squad prior to the Asian Games, and that is another reason for the shrewd move.

 'If we put them in their Asian Games event and they don't perform well it might not be good for them psychologically,' Hong Kong assistant coach Sam Wong Chi-wai said.

 Hong Kong's rowers are in the final phase of training for next month's Asian Games and will soon start tapering off, Wong said.

 'We are doing some hard work at the moment but most of the toughest training was done earlier in the year,' he said. Although the Asian Games open on December 6, the Hong Kong rowing squad will not depart the SAR for Pattaya until December 11, three days before the rowing competition begins.

 'Although the competition venue in Thailand looks very good, the training facilities are much better here in Hong Kong so we have decided not to travel until the Games have started,' Wong said.



Rival's withdrawal from HK Championships leaves Ng high and dry