Li finds himself in trouble again with officialdom

National swimmer Arthur Li Kai-yien's troubles continued yesterday as he was disqualified from the 50 metres backstroke during the final day of the Hong Kong Short-Course Championships at the Sports Institute in Sha Tin.

Li's problems started on the Lunar New Year's Eve when he was caught by police in possession of cannabis, for which he received a one-year suspended sentence.

Yesterday, swimming officials disqualified him from the heats of the men's 50 metres backstroke when he was judged to have swum under water, using dolphin kicks, for more than the official limit of 15 metres.

Backstroke is not Li's strong event and it was his first competition in the event for two years. But he probably breathed a sigh of relief last night when he was included in the 27-member squad for the April 1-4 World Short-Course Championships at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

The list was released by the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association (HKASA), which held a selection meeting immediately after yesterday's event.

With the exception of overseas-based swimmers, only the top two finishers of the three-day Hong Kong Championships (25m) were considered for selection and Li managed to make the squad after he clocked 23.86 seconds to finish second behind young sprinter Fu Wing in the men's 50m freestyle.