OpinionLeft Field: Time to leave the amateur ranks
Lack of professional management in sports such as swimming and triathlon will only see athletes waste their talent and time
The bedrock of a successful sporting body is always the people, those volunteers who have given their time and effort for the good of the sport. But is the time for such people over? Are they out of touch in these modern professional times?
Yes, says Andrew Wright, the former Hong Kong triathlete who last week said his sport was being held back by people who had no idea what it took to run it successfully.
He's not a lone voice. A few weeks ago, Geoffrey Cheah also voiced his concerns over the amateurs in charge of swimming. The name of the organisation itself is evidence it is run by part-timers, the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association.
As the Hong Kong contingent returns from the Asian Games with 42 medals in their possession, it is time to take stock of the situation and see if changes can be made for the better.
It is easy to point fingers at those hard-working people who devote their time to sport without compensation - other than the frequent junkets to international sporting events like the Olympics or the Asian Games
It is easy to point fingers at those hard-working people who devote their time to sport without compensation - other than the frequent junkets to international sporting events like the Olympics or the Asian Games, the latter which also now includes separate Beach Games, Winter Games, Indoor Games and Youth Games.
Triathlon finds itself on the verge of being kicked out of the Hong Kong Sports Institute after failing to win a medal at the Incheon Games. It was in the same position four years ago entering the Guangzhou Games, but on that occasion an eighth-place finish by Wright was enough to prevent the axe from falling.