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YESTERDAY, Young Post told how two Hong Kong squash prodigies stormed to gold medal success at the Scottish Junior Open last month.

Here, in a second part, we learn more about 14-year-old Chan Ho-ling and Au Chun-ming, 12.

Both Ho-ling and Chun-ming are students at the Jockey Club Ti-I College in Sha Tin - the same school that the SAR's current sporting darling Rebecca Chiu Wing-yin attended.

The school is located within walking distance of the Hong Kong Sports Institute, which is the main reason talented athletes choose to study there, said Danny Yip, a coach at the institute.

'If they are good at any sport, they can easily go to the institute. The school often books courts or field time there for physical education (PE) classes too,' he said.

Ho-ling said she wanted to go to the secondary school because 'so many top squash players come from there'.

Movie fan Ho-ling, whose mother and father both drive for a living, has one older sister - Tsun-ling, 15 - also an elite squash player.

'Tsun-ling is more of an all-round sportsperson. She is very good at athletics, especially distance running,' said her PE teacher Lee Kwong-ling.

But Form Three student Ho-ling has the natural talent.

'Ho-ling has great potential,' said Lee who is also the school's squash co-ordinator.

Chun-ming has an older sister - Wing-chi, 13 - also at Jockey Club Ti-I College and also a top squash player.

Jockey Club Ti-I boasts 12 members of the current Hong Kong junior squash squads.

The seven girls are Connie Choi Man-shan, Ho-ling, Tsun-ling (Ho-ling's sister), Natalie So Tsz-liu, Wing-chi (Chun-ming's sister), Lee Lok-man and Ng Sin-lung.

The five boys are So Pak-hei, Chun-ming, Fung Ngai, Ng Ka-chun and Yu Fung.

'Our best players all have external training at the [sports] institute,' said Lee.

Last year Hong Kong's top junior players picked up two gold and two silver medals at the Japan Junior Open. Chun-ming was the under-13 gold medallist.

Form One student Chun-ming is too young to consider being a full-time athlete, and Ho-ling has no plans to step up a level either just yet.

But the idea of taking a year out from school has already been considered by Ho-ling, who names Asian Games gold medallist Rebecca Chiu Wing-yin as her role model.

'We discussed Ho-ling becoming full-time, but agreed that we won't consider it seriously until she has finished Form Five,' said Yip, who has put the lightweight athlete on a weight-building milk powder diet.

Hong Kong head squash coach Tony Choi Yuk-kwan is certain Ho-ling has the ability to become a star.

'She's talented and has a bright future,' said Choi who coached Chiu to her Asian Games gold medal last October.

'But she needs to build up her strength and get more international exposure to challenge the best,' he said.

Last Sunday at the annual inter-school individual squash championships, Chun-ming won the grade C title and in a shock result, Ho-ling lost to Chiu Ka-kei (Belilios Public School) in the grade B final.

This Sunday, Ho-ling will assist Ti-I College girls in their bid for a fourth consecutive team title.



Rising stars