Asia player of the year Leo Au spearheads Hong Kong challenge at regional squash team championships

Newly crowned Asia player of the year Leo Au Chun-ming will spearhead a strong Hong Kong team at the regional squash championships in Taipei on May 11-15.

The 26 year-old picked up the Dato Alex Lee Award for 2015, given by the Asian Squash Federation for the player with the most outstanding performances.

Au, ranked 26th in the world, will be joined by teammates Max Lee Ho-yin, Yip Tsz-fung and Tang Ming-hong in the 14-team event while the women’s squad will be headed by world No 10 and elder sister Annie Au Wing-chi. Joey Chan Ho-ling, Liu Tsz-ling and Ho Tze-lok complete the women’s team.

Eight teams will feature in the women’s event which includes regional powerhouses Malaysia and India.

Hong Kong have never won the men’s team title while the women’s team were crowned regional champions in 2000 and 2010. Both teams are seeded No 1 for the tournament starting on Wednesday.

“I am quite happy with my recent performances. I am more consistent on the tour and don’t crack under pressure easily,” said Leo Au. “I am sure I will be a target for other teams in the Asian Championships after winning the award. “It won’t give me extra pressure ... it will push me to work harder.

“Of course, we are targeting a medal because we are the top seeds. It will be great if we can stand on top of the podium.”