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SCMP Reporter

PROMISING young Hong Kong cyclists will have a chance to pursue a professional career in the sport with the territory's top cycling club, Ngai Hing, ready to launch an international team.

  Ngai Hing, an electrical appliances supplier, have been a staunch supporter of the sport in Hong Kong for the last three years during which they had annually pumped more than $1 million in sponsorship.

  Team manager Vincent Tse On-po said plans were underway to start a Ngai Hing professional team with their training base in New Zealand.

  ''There is limited opportunity for talented cyclists to develop their full potential in Hong Kong, and no hope of fulfilling a professional career in the sport,'' said the outspoken Tse.

  ''Neither the Hong Kong Cycling Association nor the Sports Development Board, which provide Government funding for sports, are doing enough to help the riders.

   ''It is not good enough just to send the Hong Kong team away for a two-or three-month training stint ahead of a major championship.

  ''They may improve a little but they will still get slaughtered in competitions. It's just a waste of money.''    Ngai Hing hope the formation of their professional outfit would open the doors for the promising riders to develop their careers.

  They plan to set up the team's headquarters in either Auckland or Christchurch in New Zealand, where Ngai Hing have built up solid connections with the cycling federation.

 Tse said: ''We'll start the team with a couple of top New Zealand riders and three or four Hong Kong cyclists who are prepared to devote themselves to the sport.

   ''The Hong Kong riders we recruit may not necessarily be among the current crop of top local cyclists, we want youngsters who have the potential to make the grade at professional level.''   Tse estimated that budget for the ambitious project would be at least $3 million a year, but he is confident that part of it can be covered through sponsorship.

   Although the team are to be stationed in New Zealand, they will be sent to Europe for competitions.

   ''New Zealand will be our headquarters and training base but the team will also be travelling extensively in Europe where the professional races are held,'' said Tse.

   ''The exposure to top-level competitions is the only way to develop top-class riders and we hope our team can successfully blood cyclists who will eventually win medals for Hong Kong on the international stage.''    Ngai Hing are noted for their heavyweight support in Hong Kong cycling.

  They were the major sponsor for the indoor world championships held at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium four months ago.

   They put Hong Kong on the international map last year when they invested more than $500,000 in recruiting four New Zealanders for the Tour de Taiwan series in which they finished third out of 29 teams.

   Brendan Hart won two legs and teammate Graeme Miller also posted a stage win and was third overall in the individual standings.

   The free-spending club have increased the budget for their Tour de Taiwan challenge by more than 40 per cent this year - having five Kiwis in the squad and also bringing along the New Zealand cycling team's masseur Paul Jesson.

  Four of the five New Zealanders - Hart, Chris Barnsley, Mark Rendell and Landery Burt - are in the 11-strong national squad and will represent their country at either the World Championships or the Commonwealth Games this year.

  Eighteen-year-old Glenn Rewi is a member of the junior team.

   The Tour de Taiwan, covering a total distance of 1,203 kilometres, starts tomorrow and Ngai Hing manager Tse is expecting even better results this time.

   ''Although we achieved a degree of success last year, we could have done better with a bit of luck,'' said Tse, citing crashes by Hart, Barnsley and Rick Reid which cost them invaluable time.

   ''Our target is to win the overall team title and I think the only team that can offer us a challenge are Inner Mongolia, who were out of the running last year because they missed the first couple of stages.

   ''We've got a younger outfit this time and there is extra incentive for the boys - they will be the first choices for the Ngai Hing (New Zealand) team if they do well in Taiwan.'' 



Firm to put HK on cycling map