Final chapter in history of modest achievements

AS Hong Kong's 53-member team pack their gear to travel to the 15th Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, one thing the squad will not be taking with them is a winning tradition.

With only a paltry 12 medals won in nine Commonwealth Games, winning has been a rare experience for Hong Kong teams of the past.

The Games first started in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930 to promote a common sporting interest among British Commonwealth countries, but it wasn't until 1954 that Hong Kong would make their first appearance.

In 1950, Hong Kong's Victoria Recreation Club was asked by British sporting officials if they would like to field a team at the 1950 Auckland Commonwealth Games. Because of this inquiry, a meeting was called and the Hong Kong Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee came into being. Largely due to the efforts of sports supremo A. de O. Sales, the current president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, and a seven-man committee, Hong Kong would be elevated from clubby colonial beginnings into the world of international sport.

Although there was great excitement that Hong Kong had been asked to participate in the Commonwealth Games, it was decided by the committee to wait until sporting activities in the territories were better organised.

When Hong Kong first fielded a team in the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, the forerunner of the Commonwealth Games, in Vancouver, Canada, the team was successful immediately.

A silver medal won by the territory in men's fours lawn bowls was overshadowed by the news of the ''miracle mile'' race where Dr Roger Bannister of England and John Landy of Australia became the first two people to break the four-minutes mile barrier, in the same race.