Hong Kong Olympian Jason Ng taking entourage bigger than some countries’ squads to Paris
- Ng is the city’s only triathlete competing at the Games, but he will be backed up by a small army of relatives travelling from far and wide
Hong Kong triathlete Jason Ng Tai-long will have a family support team the size of a small country’s delegation when he makes his Olympics debut in Paris this month.
Ng may cut a solitary figure as his city’s lone representative in the triathlon when he negotiates the swim, cycle and run at Pont Alexandre III on July 30, but his relatives intend to ensure Hong Kong is seen and heard.
With an army of aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents booked to fly from North America to cheer him on, Ng’s entourage of 11 is set to match the combined squads of Bolivia, which is sending four athletes, Bhutan, which has three, and Barbados, whose quartet includes triathlete Matthew Wright.
There are almost 100 other nations or regions sending a smaller cohort than Ng’s clan to the French capital. Even sizeable Saudi Arabia will have only 10 athletes.
“My mum will fly from Hong Kong; my grandfather, several aunts, uncle and cousins will also be coming to support me,” Ng said. “It means the world to me that so many of my extended family members are making such an effort to come to support me in Paris – family is the most important thing.”
Ng, who just wrapped up a month-long altitude training camp in Saint Moritz, Switzerland and is now training in France, is eager to savour the Games experience when he checks into the Olympic Village on July 26 – just in time for the floating opening ceremony.
