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Tokyo Paralympic wheelchair badminton bronze medallist Daniel Chan Ho-yuen, is one of the awardees on the 2022 Honours List. Photo: Shirley Chui

Hong Kong’s sporting stars of future recognised as HKSSA awards return with fanfare

  • A S Watson Group Hong Kong Student Sports Awards hold physical ceremony for first time in three years, with 1,000 people present at Fortune Metropolis mall
  • ‘I’m glad to see such a large event can be held to show people that it’s time to get back to normal,’ says Medal of Honour recipient Daniel Chan Ho-yuen

Hong Kong’s future sporting stars were recognised on Friday, as the city’s leading student sports awards ceremony returned with plenty of fanfare.

The A S Watson Group Hong Kong Student Sports Awards (HKSSA) gave out prizes to 850 student athletes at the Fortune Metropolis mall in Kowloon.

The HKSSA awards, which have recognised outstanding student-athletes in primary, secondary, and special schools since 2005, had not held a physical presentation for the last three years because of the 2019 anti-government protests and the pandemic.

Daniel Chan Ho-yuen – a bronze medallist in wheelchair badminton at the Tokyo Paralympics, and recipient of the Medal of Honour award in the government’s Honours List announced this week, was one of the presenters on Friday, and was pleased to see the return of a physical ceremony.

“I’m glad to see that such a large event can be held in a mall to show people that it’s time to get back to normal,” said 37-year-old Chan, who will travel to Thailand for an international para-badminton tournament in mid-August as he builds towards the World Championships in November.

“I think student-athletes are happy to get their certificates in physical form rather than on Zoom.”

Daniel Chan Ho-yuen (left) and three-time student awardee Cheng Chung. Photo: Shirley Chui

Malina Ngai Man-lin, the A S Watson CEO, said Friday’s acknowledgement was just the beginning for these student-athletes, adding that they were “very talented, they just need to be given opportunity and they will try even harder”.

“There are a lot of psychological side effects with social distancing in daily life, some of which can be quite damaging for young people’s development specifically, which could be irreversible,” Ngai, the 1994 Asian Games rowing bronze medallist, said.

“With increasing vaccination rates and Hong Kong residents being very disciplined about wearing masks and keeping their hands clean, we have all the criteria needed to return to normal.”

A S Watson CEO Malina Ngai at the HKSSA awards ceremony. Photo: Shirley Chui

Among the awardees were three-time winner Cheng Chung, a 17-year-old wheelchair table tennis player and Form-4 student at SAHK Ko Fook Iu Memorial School, who secured a team bronze medal at the Asian Junior Games last year.

“The one I won in 2017-2018 was held in Queen Elizabeth Stadium with only teachers and students in attendance, and while last year was on Zoom, this year’s atmosphere was the best with citizens watching in the mall,” Cheng said.

Bernice Li Hau-chun, a primary-six student, celebrates with her award. Photo: Shirley Chui

Primary-six student Bernice Li Hau-chun, a solo Chinese dancer at Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School, was also recognised after triumphing at the 2021 Schools Dance Festival with a distinction.

“I was so happy to end my time in primary school with this HKSSA prize,” said Li. “It is my first time receiving this award, and it is the kind of recognition that will encourage me to try even harder in the future.

“Watson sent professional photographers to our school to do the photo shoot, which was an unforgettable experience. It gave us the impression that they really care about the awards.”

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