Lok Kwan-hoi's historic gold an ideal tool to push for aquatics centre at Kai Tak airport site
Veteran leads impressive medal haul for rowers, with teammates saying the sport will suffer unless they are given an urban water sports venue
Hong Kong rowers believe yesterday's glittering medal haul in Incheon - including their first gold in the sport at the Games - will be a powerful tool in the fight to build a water sports centre on the Kai Tak airport site.
Lok Kwan-hoi became the first rower from Hong Kong to clinch a gold medal in the Asian Games when he won the men's lightweight single sculls (2,000 metres) in seven minutes and 25.04 seconds, narrowly defeating South Korea's Lee Hak-beom at the Chungju Tangeum Rowing Centre.
The South Korean clocked 7:25.95, with third place going to Dushiant Dushyant of India in 7:26.57.
Rowing has never been a popular sport in Hong Kong and one of the reasons is a lack of venue
Lok, 27, became the second athlete to win a gold medal in Incheon after star cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze won the women's keirin on Sunday.
In the women's single sculls, Lee Ka-man took her second Asian Games silver medal, along with men's lightweight double sculls pair Chow Kwong-wing and Tang Chiu-mang.
A four-time Asian Games competitor who also won a silver at the 2006 Doha Games, Lee said she hoped their success would encourage authorities to speed up the construction of the proposed venue in east Kowloon.
"Today we proved Hong Kong rowers can stand at the top of the medal podium and I think more people will take an interest in our sport now," said Lee, who first represented the city at the 2002 Busan Asian Games.