Leukaemia: how a cancer diagnosis destroyed the sporting dreams of Asian Games beach volleyball duo
- When Hongkonger Kelvin Lau felt dazed and struggled to stand up during a match at the 2018 Asian Games, he and his partner knew things weren’t right
- The diagnosis hit especially hard as the amateur athletes, who had fought against the odds and been self-funded for years, had finally hit the big time
Wong Pui-lam and Kelvin Lau Tsz-ho were nervous as they stepped onto the scorching sand of Indonesia’s JSC Beachball Arena at the Asian Games in Palembang last August.
The beach volleyball duo from Hong Kong had fought against all odds to come this far. Success at the Asian Games, which happen every four years, had always been their ultimate goal – everything they had worked for.
But something was not right.
Lau had been feeling unwell on his way to Indonesia and now on the field, he was starting to feel dazed. Wong suggested swapping positions, so Lau could take the less demanding position of defender in the backcourt area, while he played blocker at the net.
During one point, Wong sent the ball high up into the air for his partner to hit. But when he turned around he saw that not only had Lau missed the ball but he was bent over, hands on his knees. “That’s when I knew – something was really wrong,” Wong says.
They lost to their opponents, the home team. Afterwards, the Hong Kong team’s doctor checked Lau and discovered he had a raging fever. With furrowed brows, he told them: “It could be an infection or a heart problem. There are many possibilities.”