'For years I have been associated with the sport and now I am at the helm of the association,' says new president
Flashback to 34 years ago and a skinny bespectacled youngster with a stylish backhand wins the Asian junior doubles title with teammate Winston Wai Jnr in Kuala Lumpur. Fast forward to today and Kenneth Tsui Kam-cheung is on top of the world again, this time winning the Hong Kong Tennis Association (HKTA) presidential elections by a landslide, beating hot favourite Herman Hu 53 votes to 39.
One might not think there is any connection between his junior doubles win almost four decades ago and his election victory, but there is. Tsui's victory in 1967 made Hong Kong recognise the need for tennis development. Somehow history has repeated itself, going full circle with Tsui back in the limelight again, promising to lift Hong Kong tennis with the same enthusiasm he displayed in landing Hong Kong its first major international win all those years ago.
It has certainly been a 'great week' for Tsui, who comes from a tennis family that really needs no introduction in Hong Kong. The 52-year-old major shareholder and chief executive officer of a consumer finance company succeeded long-serving HKTA president Dr Philip Kwok. Days after his epic win, Hong Kong's Melvin Tong and John Hui reached the final of the doubles at the Asian Championships at Victoria Park.
The fuss that surrounded the HKTA annual general meeting - Hu was widely tipped to succeed Kwok as a long-serving honorary secretary and son of former HKTA president F. K. Hu - proved unfounded as Tsui began his two-year tenure in the hot seat.
'I don't really think it was such a surprise because I have been vice-president since 1999. I always had extremely strong support from the clubs. It wasn't really an upset. I was voted president and I have been associated with Hong Kong tennis for a long time,' said Tsui, a former schoolboy singles champion who also represented Hong Kong in Davis Cup competition. 'I have made lots of contributions to Hong Kong just as Herman Hu has. I am extremely pleased to have been voted president. For years I have been associated with tennis and now I am at the helm of the association. I certainly have a few ideas I hope can contribute to Hong Kong tennis.'
Tsui's tennis roots make interesting reading. His father, Tsui Wai-pui, represented China in the Davis Cup. His father and uncle, Tsui Yun-pui, won the All-China Games gold medal in doubles in 1948 - three generations before Tong and Hui won bronze in Guangzhou in the same competition.
