It’s been quite a year for Ng On-yee. From an unknown playing a sport seen by many in Hong Kong as more a path to crime than to success, to a world champion stopped in the streets by fans, feted by the BBC and crowned Hong Kong’s ‘Best of the Best’ athlete.
On-yee, 25, returns to where it started next weekend when she defends her title at the World Ladies Snooker Championships – and then takes on the men at their own worlds immediately afterwards.
Her latest title came on Monday at the Sports Stars awards, when she was voted Hong Kong’s top sportsperson, ending a six-year run of dominance by cyclists.
Ng On-Yee celebrates with her trophy at the Samsung 2015 Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards. Photo: Nora Tam
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It wasn’t the first long reign she’s ended, having dethroned Reanne Evans – women’s world champion 10 years in a row – last year.
Despite her new fame, little has changed for the smiley, bespectacled Ng, who only took up the sport because she liked the outfits. She still lives at home in Sheung Wan with her parents – father Yam-shui runs a snooker club nearby – likes nothing more than taking her labrador for a walk, and collected her Sports Stars awards in a Hong Kong girl’s primary school uniform-style outfit, symbolising how much she still has to learn.
Ng On-Yee has her eye on the ball. Photo: Nora Tam
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“There is no big change – I am still an ordinary athlete,” Ng says at the impressive new snooker training room at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, where she is paid to train full-time. “Yes it was a very big result last year.
