Shen Jinkang wins his seventh Coach of the Year award
Cycling coach who masterminded Sarah Lee Wai-sze's success hopes young talents overtake him
Shen Jinkang has won coach of the year prizes so many times he has almost lost count - as he bagged his seventh yesterday, he said he hoped to pass on the baton.
The cycling coach won his latest gong at the annual Coaching Awards Presentation yesterday, the undisputed winner after Sarah Lee Wai-sze won gold at the 2013 World Track Cycling Championships.
As he received the trophy from Olympic Committee president Timothy Fok Tsun-ting at the Sports Institute yesterday, Shen admitted: "I can't remember how many times I've stood here to receive the award. But I do hope some upcoming coaches can take over my position, so that we can have more talented coaches to work for the betterment of Hong Kong sports.
"Our sport standards have been raised tremendously in recent years and it is not only a challenge to athletes, but coaches because we have to help our athletes challenge at the world's highest level."
Shen, who won in the senior athletes, individual sport category, also guided Lee to gold medals at the 2013 National Games in Shenyang and the East Asian Games in Tianjin, and four track World Cup medals.
Joint winners in the senior athletes, team sport, category were badminton coach Chen Kang and wheelchair fencing coach Chen Yu.
Chen Kang helped mixed doubles pair, Chau Hoi-wah and Lee Chun-hei, to bronze medals in the Hong Kong Super Series and Asian Championships. Chen Yu led the women's and men's foils teams to a gold and a bronze medal, respectively, at the World Wheelchair Fencing Championships.
The junior individual prize went to Michael Peter Fasching, who helped teen Siobhan Haughey clinch gold in the girls' 100 metre freestyle at the World Junior Swimming Championships. Dick Leung Kan-fai won the junior team prize after steering his girls' squash team to a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships.
