Asian Games keeps Hong Kong’s Grace Lau focused amid karate chaos
The world number five calls for calm in the lead-up to Indonesia after the Olympic Committee suspends her sport
Leading karate athlete Grace Lau Mo-sheung has called for damage control in her sport so she can focus on the Asian Games and, more importantly, when it debuts at the Olympic Games in 2020.
“I had never thought beyond the Asian Games in Indonesia but now the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has become the biggest dream, especially for a karateka,” said 27-year-old Lau, the world number five in the women’s kata, one of the two competition disciplines along with kumite.
“The Asian Games will take place in August which will be followed by the Olympic qualification campaign in September, but the situation in karate in Hong Kong has worried us a lot over the past couple of months.
“No one knows if the sport will continue to be in the Olympic Games after Tokyo, even if karate is very popular in France and across Europe.
“As a scholarship athlete at the Sports Institute, we can stay away from interference from outside and keep training but the recent saga in the sport has affected us. You don’t want to see people keep criticising your sport.”
The Hong Kong Karatedo Federation, the sport’s governing body, has been suspended by the Olympic Committee after accusations of maladministration and unfair selection of athletes. The federation said it would appeal against the ruling which was made last week.