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The Hong Kong schools swimming team aims to defend its title in the Asian Schools Swimming Championships at Kowloon Park Pool next week.

Four years ago in Singapore, the SAR won the title and now with home advantage, confidence is high of repeating that success.

'We are putting our strongest possible team out - we want to win again,' said team spokesperson Stephen Lee Kai-mou, of the Hong Kong School Sports Federation.

The HKSSF is hosting the event which runs from July 26 to August 1.

Nine national teams plus the hosts will compete.

The nations sending teams to the event are Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Brunei, Macau, and the Philippines.

'China's team will be very strong,' said Lee. 'They have selected the best swimmers from schools in the Shanghai and Tianjin area.

We have carefully planned for this event for a long time. It is a major competition for the federation. There is a lot of organisation involved. Let's hope the Hong Kong team get plenty of support from their school mates.'

Most of the Hong Kong team missed last week's flag ceremony at Olympic House as they are training with Hong Kong national team coach Chan Yiu-hoi in Australia.

Star swimmer Sze Hang-yu is training in the United States.

Squad members Kwok Sum, Ng Pak-yin, and Kevin Siu received the flag from Hong Kong sports chiefs.

'These flag ceremonies are very important as it reinforces the fact that the students are representing Hong Kong, an official Olympic state,' said Con Conway, vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.



HK aim to walk on water