Champions and runners-up from the All Hong Kong Schools badminton tournament will represent the region today and tomorrow at the 2005 inter-port competition in Xiamen City.
Twice Sports Girl of the Year winner Janice Lau Chi-kay and singles champion Kwan Cheuk-ying will lead the girls' secondary team, with Lau Chi-yin and Tong Tin-yau spearheading the boys' challenge for titles.
Twelve girls and twelve boys will travel to the southern city on a flight this morning.
They will face stiff opposition from the best young school-age players from Macau, Guangdong and Fujian in the biennial event, which will be held at the giant Xiamen Sports Centre tonight and tomorrow.
Hong Kong failed to clinch any titles when it hosted the event two years ago. This year players face a tough task against the hosts Fujian, whose team is traditionally strong.
'It will be tough as Fujian have always been good at badminton,' said Stephen Lee Kai-mui, of the Hong Kong School Sports Federation.