Tennis in Hong Kong has long been seen as an elite pastime, but the sport’s governing body is trying to change that by targeting natural athletes from low-income families in a bid to boost the number of players who make it to the elite level.
Chris Lai, the Hong Kong Tennis Association’s chief executive, welcomed the return of tennis into the Hong Kong Sports Institute, but is pinning hopes for the future on a new programme that’s introducing the sport to physically gifted school kids in districts perhaps not traditionally associated with the sport in the city.
Getting back into the Hong Kong Sports Institute is great. It will mean we will have more funding, and more players can benefit by having access to the courts and other facilities
Chris Lai
Tennis returned to the HKSI last month after seven years in the wilderness having lost its elite status in 2008. Four players will join as scholarship athletes, three in the senior full-time category – Lynn Zhang Ling (pictured), Jack Wong Hong-kit, Andrew Li Hei-yin – plus Ng Kwan-yau in the junior full-time category.
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“Getting back into the Hong Kong Sports Institute is great. It will mean we will have more funding, and more players can benefit by having access to the courts and other facilities like gym, physiotherapy and nutritionists,” said Lai, chief executive of the Hong Kong Tennis Association.
Jack Wong Hong-kit is another player who will join the Sports Institute full-time. Photo: David Wong
“But tennis is still regarded more as an upper- or upper-middle class sport in Hong Kong, in the sense that it is not easy to get public courts. In this light, it is crucial our grassroots development programme – Tennis Rocks, which we started last year, is a success,” Lai said.
The district-based development programme targets kids aged from six to eight years old from low-income families. Three districts have already come on board – Tuen Mun, Yau Ma Tei and Kwun Tong – with 150 children in the scheme. More districts are in line to join.
Andrew Li Hei-yin playing at Hong Kong ATP Challenger event at Victoria Park earlier this year. he also join the HKSI full-time. Photo: Nora Tam
“Tennis Rocks has strong implications that it will have a big impact on tennis in the future. We have picked 50 kids in each district primarily from low-income families and from the ages of six to eight based on physical attributes such as the tallest, fastest or physically more well-built. These kids generally must have the physical attributes to be a good athlete,” Lai said.
