Asian Games: Hong Kong's team sports urged 'to silence their critics'
Olympic body enlarged this year's contingent after claims that it prefers individual athletes
Hong Kong have brought their largest-ever squad to an Asian Games to silence critics who blamed the Hong Kong Olympic Committee for ignoring team sports, delegation head Karl Kwok Chi-leung said on Thursday.
"We have been told we have not supported team sports in the past, and even though team sports are not our strong point, we decided this time we would accommodate as many as we could," Kwok said at the flag-raising ceremony for the Hong Kong squad at the athletes' village in Incheon, South Korea.
Hong Kong will compete in 10 teams sports at the 17th Asian Games which get under way with Friday's opening ceremony. But apart from rugby sevens and maybe cricket, it is unlikely the rest will be in the medal hunt.
This time we took the decision to give as many team sports the chance to participate
Others include basketball, baseball, handball, beach volleyball, volleyball, hockey, soccer and water polo.
Apart from baseball (men) and hockey (women) the rest will field teams in the men's and women's competitions.
Four years ago in Guangzhou, Hong Kong won 40 medals, including eight golds. Rugby sevens (men) was the only team sport to win a medal, a silver. It was also the first time a team sport had won a medal for Hong Kong since it began participating at the Asian Games in 1958.
"We have our biggest squad, 472 athletes, but it doesn't mean we are bound to win more medals," Kwok said. "After all, a team sport can only win one medal.