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SCMP Reporter

VETERAN Chong Siao-chin, a bronze medallist at the 1986 Asian Games, has become an innocent victim of the power struggle raging in Hong Kong judo.

 Incumbent Hong Kong Judo Association officials have named him in a seven-strong team for the World Championships in Hamilton, Canada, at the end of the month - but a rebel group, who claim they now represent the association, have named a six-strong team and left him out.

 ''Chong is 35 years old and definitely over the hill as far as his judo career is concerned,'' said Lui Hon-wah, secretary of the rebel group.

 But Henry Shing Hing-yuen, chairman of the incumbent group, said: ''He has earned his place and deserves to be chosen.''  It is now left to the Sports Development Board to decide Chong's fate.

 Mick Aitkin, the SDB's director of development services, confirmed they have received two applications for funding for the championships.

 ''We will study both and make the appropriate decision, but until then I have nothing further to say,'' said Aitkin.

 The SDB will also have to decide which officials are sent to Canada.

 Both judo groups have named national team coach David Starbrook to lead the squad, but the incumbent association also want to send vice-chairman Samson Mak Yiu-cheung, while the rebels want to send Chan Hung-wai and Lee Chung-tai.

    Sources close to the SDB, the Government's sports funding arm, suggest the body will endorse only Starbrook, asking him to double as coach and team manager.

    Starbrook, a two-time Olympic medallist for Britain, did not even know he had been named to go to Canada, but said last night he would be glad to do so: ''The players should have their coach there to look after them.''     Chong, meanwhile, a hero when he came back from the Seoul Asiad with his bronze medal seven years ago, is left preparing for a major championship without knowing whether he will be allowed to compete.

 He is attached to Mak's Far East club, but rebel spokesman Lui insists there are no political reasons behind his group's decision not to pick Chong, who won the under-71 kilograms category last month at the Hong Kong Open, which doubled as the selection trial.

 Lui said: ''We've simply named a very youthful squad, consisting of players who are all on the way up.

 ''These players should benefit from the experience and can continue to serve Hong Kong at international level for many years.''  But Shing countered: ''Chong is one of the hardest working players I have ever seen. In the last few years, even when he hasn't been selected, he has never given up and has set a great example with his commitment.''  ''He must be the oldest player we've ever chosen but at the selection meeting it was decided the criteria we were looking for was that players must have won the trials, and must have experience. Chong won, and is the most experienced player we have.''  Both groups are agreed on the rest of the team: men's players Wat Chi-wan (60 kgs) and Yu Wai-cheong (65 kgs); and women's players Cheng Wah-fong (48 kgs), Chan Mei-ling (52 kgs), Cat Law Lai-wah (56 kgs) and Mo Ching-wai (61 kgs).

   All four women players are experienced internationals, not least Law who won an Asian Championships bronze medal in Osaka two years ago and a Commonwealth Championships bronze in Cardiff last year.

  But the international experience of teenage men's players Wat and Yu has been mostly limited to interport level.

  Wat, 17, earned his place with a shock Open victory over Alex Lee Kan, who had won the title for the last five years. Rising star Yu earned his call-up with victory over Chung Kwong-keung, who represented Hong Kong at the East Asian Games in May.



Judo wars floor veteran hero