Blocking of junior athletes under fire from former Hong Kong triathlete
Local triathlon body, facing the loss of its elite status, has been accused of having an outdated selection criteria that has penalised junior stars
The Hong Kong Triathlon Association, fighting to retain elite status at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, has been accused of neglecting four leading junior athletes after they were barred from competing in the Hong Kong ASTC Triathlon Asian Cup at Disneyland this weekend.
Triathlon failed to medal at the Asian Games in Incheon last month and will be kicked out of the HKSI in April unless it wins a late reprieve.
With its future as an elite sport in doubt, the bickering between the governing body and former athlete Andrew Wright reached a new level with the latter calling for the association to change its "outdated" selection criteria for major events.
With the loss of triathlon's elite status, due to lack of results over the last four years, athletes like these should be a focus for the future of the sport
Wright, who now coaches athletes privately, has blasted the association after four of his top juniors - Miles Williams, Reiny Brown, Henry Warren and James Tan - were refused permission to take part in the Asian Cup. They had all recently resigned from the national squad.
"With the [impending] loss of triathlon's elite status, due to lack of results over the last four years, athletes like these should be a focus for the future of the sport," said Wright, who four years ago won triathlon an extension at the HKSI when his eighth-placed finish at the Guangzhou Asian Games was enough to maintain its funding.
"It is easy to see that blocking athletes from racing in an already diminished sport is one of the major reasons for losing the elite status to begin with," Wright said.
"All four have raced for Hong Kong before in an ITU event and have been within the top 10 positions internationally, showing they are more than capable of racing at this level. All are in top form to compete in this event and eligible to race for Hong Kong."
Not according to the association. While admitting the athletes are talented, the HKTA says its hands are tied as their resignation from the national squad bars them from taking part, according to the body's rules and its regulations.
"While no one has any doubt that all the athletes have ability, their resignation from the national squad has unfortunately imposed self-made limitations on them in terms of being selected for ITU-sanctioned races under the Hong Kong flag," said Michael Tse, chairman of the HKTA selection committee.
"Representation of Hong Kong in Junior Elite ITU races is a privilege and benefit extended to members of the national squad only," said Tse. An exception to this rule, with respect to the Hong Kong ITU race, relates to prospective new members who have passed the recent time trials or are members of the national development squad and are old enough to meet ITU regulations.
"All junior athletes who have met the above criteria have been duly selected."
Apart from Tan, the rest of the athletes had resigned from the national squad , with one, Brown, having expressed an intention to represent Switzerland, according to Tse. Tan had also not taken part in time trials, which precluded him.
Wright countered: "I was hoping that after not scoring points in any major games over the past four years some changes might be made to the way the committee was run and some of the policies regarding selection."
Wright said the athletes had resigned from the national squad as they could not attend training at the HKSI for various reasons - school, work and travel - and hadn't taken part in the time trials after only being given two weeks' notice by the association.
"It was made very clear that anyone not attending or making the times would not be allowed on the squad, and therefore to race.
"The athletes had no option but to leave the squad. These are legitimate reasons and the policy of attending training, as well as a few others do not make sense.
"In fact, if triathlon is kicked out of the HKSI, then attending training there will not be possible anyway," Wright said.
