Three of Hong Kong’s most promising sportsmen have been admitted into the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) “Top Athletes Direct Admission Scheme”, the institution confirmed in a press release on Tuesday. Tennis player Coleman Wong Chak-lam, alpine skier Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen, and sailor Russell Williams Aylsworth will receive scholarships of HK$400,000 covering tuition fee waivers, living allowances, residential scholarships, and support for international exchange opportunities. HKU will also provide other support to the athletes, including personal academic advising, flexible learning arrangements, counselling, and physical training, as they balance their fledgling athletic careers with respective studies. Yung, who represented Hong Kong at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics last month, will be joining a Bachelor of Science programme. Aside from a lifelong passion for skiing, the 17-year-old also developed an interest in scientific fields including climate change, marine ecology, and sports science. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adrian Yung OLY | 翁厚全 OLY (@adrianhtyung) “I find the HKU Faculty of Science YouTube videos about the marine environment very interesting and impressive. I hope one day I can participate in it,” he said. Wong is the most notable acquisition in terms of sporting accolades. The 17-year-old has two junior grand slam titles under his belt, winning the Australian Open boys’ doubles championship in January and the Australian Open equivalent in 2021. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wong Chak Lam Coleman 黃澤林 (@coleman_wong) “I am so pleased that the flexibility of this scheme can allow me to study when I am out of Hong Kong for competitions,” said Wong, who will likely balance studies with training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain. “But with the encouragement from my parents, family, coach and teammates, I am motivated to face the uncertainty of tomorrow.” Aylsworth, a key member of Hong Kong’s Mussanah Open Championship Asia and Africa Olympic Qualifier silver medal-winning 49er team last year, will be joining HKU’s Business School as a Bachelor of Business Administration student. “Sailing has taught me the importance of discipline, grit, adaptability, and teamwork, the 21-year-old said. “I am very grateful for the opportunity that HKU has given to Hong Kong athletes and I will strive to work hard at my studies and push towards Paris 2024 [Olympics].” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Russell Aylsworth (@russ_aylsworth) Professor Bennett Yim, HKU director of undergraduate admissions and international student exchange, said the scheme offers athletes the chance to advance their sports careers. “The University of Hong Kong is the first institution to launch the ‘Top Athletes Direct Admission Scheme’. The outstanding athletes admitted in the first-round evaluation include rising stars in different fields of sports, which shows that the scheme covers a wide range of top athletes. We look forward to receiving more applications from outstanding athletes for our second-round assessment. “The active athletes who have been admitted to the scheme have great potential in advancing their sports career, and I believe there will be more opportunities for them to bring glory to Hong Kong. HKU will provide them with support in their academic and sports training, allowing them to achieve both sports and academic aspirations and continue to shine at the international sports arena.” The so-called “Top Athletes Direct Admission Scheme” will continue to accept nominations from the Hong Kong Sports Institute and other designated sports associations until late April.