The Hong Kong School Sport Federation has a 74-strong squad for this year's All China Secondary School Student Games, to be held in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province from August 20 to 31.
The youth multi-sport event is held in a different city on the mainland every three years. It will be the third time Hong Kong has taken part. More than 3,000 students from 33 provinces and special administrations will be represented, and some of China's best young sporting talent will be competing.
Hong Kong will compete in basketball, football (boys only), swimming, athletics and table tennis. Other disciplines in the 10-day programme are wushu and volleyball.
The head of the Hong Kong delegation, Yeung Hoi-cheung, said he hoped the squad would be able to match its achievement of three years ago, when the team returned from Nanjing with five medals (one silver and four bronze).
'Swimming is our main medal chance,' he said. 'With [Joyce] Wong Hiu-nam and Sze Hang-yu in the team, we can win something. They are both members of the Hong Kong national team, and Hang-yu went to the Athens Olympics last year.'
Swimming team manager Yeung Wing-kee was optimistic the girls would win a medal. 'Most of them are training with the Hong Kong senior or junior team, under coach Chan Yu-hoi. I think the girls can do well,' said Yeung.