From heartbreak to hope, Hong Kong lacrosse player Daphne Li eyes place in 2022 World Championship squad
- The 28-year-old was cut from the 2017 Hong Kong squad and, after shedding a few tears, is even more determined to make it into the 2022 team
- She took a sabbatical from her job in a PR agency, and extended it after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the World Championship to be delayed by one year
In January, 2017, Hong Kong lacrosse player Daphne Li received an email containing news that would break her heart. At the same time, it served as a starting point for a new journey that would test her resilience, patience and character.
The email was from her coach. She had just been cut from the Hong Kong squad who were to compete in the 2017 Lacrosse World Championship.
The 28-year-old had been with the squad for 18 months since returning from her studies in the United Kingdom and had her heart set on playing in Surrey, England, where Hong Kong would eventually finish 18th out of 25 teams.
Li is now targeting the 2022 tournament in Towson, Maryland, USA, having taken a sabbatical from her job in PR agency Yello Marketing to focus on improving her game.
“When I got cut from the team, that was the most unhappy moment in my lacrosse career,” said Li, who learned the game while at boarding school in England. “I was training with them for a year and a half, I realised that I actually really enjoyed playing lacrosse and being part of a team and being so close to all the players.