Hong Kong’s top marathon runner misses Tokyo World Championships amid rift with HKAAA

Hong Kong’s best marathon, half-marathon and 10km runner Wong Wan-chun has accused the city’s athletics association of stalling his career. While the World Athletics Championships take place in Tokyo this week, Wong, 29, is absent and in limbo. He initially quit the Hong Kong team in 2023 for a commercial agreement with Li-Ning that paid him about five times his income from the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI). Wong then appeared to anger officials by arranging his own accommodation at the 2023 World University Games in Chengdu, after learning the athletes’ village was nearly two hours’ travel from his half-marathon start line. On December 31 last year, Wong asked the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) if he could rejoin the team, following the Li-Ning deal’s expiry and 16 days after setting a city marathon record of two hours, 15 minutes and 26 seconds in Fuzhou. The HKAAA has denied excluding Wong, but he has yet to be reinstated. Without HKAAA approval, Wong cannot gain HKSI support. The HKSI declined to discuss the case, while Wong told the Post he believed he was being ostracised over the Chengdu incident. “I would love to represent Hong Kong again, but it’s not under my control,” he said. An HKAAA spokeswoman said in June: “Wong Wan-chun is not being excluded from the Hong Kong athletics team and the [HKSI]. The fact is [he] submitted his withdrawal from our team on 17 April 2023 [for] his own personal reasons, and we only duly respected.” Hong Kong’s lone World Championships representative, the HKSI-funded Vera Lui Lai-yiu, was eliminated in round one of the 100 metres hurdles. On Friday, the Post asked Kwan Kee, the HKAAA chairman who was in Tokyo, what remained unresolved with Wong, and whether Hong Kong could afford to omit its fastest runners. The association replied: “The HKAAA is dedicated to maintaining a fair and transparent selection process and is committed to identifying and selecting outstanding athletes who exemplify sportsmanship, demonstrate impeccable personal integrity and show exceptional competitive performance in order to represent Hong Kong in international competitions.” On March 5, Wong had met HKAAA officials to try to resolve the matter. Five days later, he emailed the association to say he was “disappointed to learn that we have no conclusion towards my application of rejoining the Hong Kong team”. In its reply on March 21, seen by the Post, the HKAAA told Wong his actions in Chengdu “caused great repercussions in the public and sports community”. The HKSI was asked about Wong’s comments, and whether it would welcome him back for November’s National Games. Its spokeswoman said the HKSI “enables athletes who meet the [funding criteria] and are endorsed by their national sports association [NSA]”. For the 2024 Olympics, the HKAAA was given a “universality” spot – guaranteeing a Games entry for an under-represented team. Allowed a 100 metres, 800m or marathon athlete, the HKAAA sent sprinter Felix Diu Chun-hei. It said Diu – eliminated in the heats in Paris – was chosen based on world ranking, but Wong said he had sought, in vain, clarity from the HKAAA over whether he was eligible, adding: “It wasn’t about my results or effort; they just didn’t want me to have the opportunity of going to an Olympics.” Last November, the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) issued a code aimed at “strengthening the governance structures and processes” of NSAs. Asked about Wong’s dispute, an SF&OC spokesman said it “regularly monitors the progress and facilitates member associations to implement the code and achieve the required governance standard”. This week’s annual policy address by Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee Ka-chiu, highlighted the importance of strengthening NSAs’ governance. In response to the address, SF&OC president Timothy Fok Tsun-ting said: “Building on the principles of the Institutional Governance Code, we will continue to work with [NSAs] to assist them in implementing relevant measures, strengthening governance and professionalism, and further enhancing the industry’s recognition.” Explainer: Why Hong Kong’s fastest marathon runner was exiled by athletics chiefs Additional reporting by Mike Chan

Hong Kong’s top marathon runner misses Tokyo World Championships amid rift with HKAAA

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wong Wan-chun, who was not in Hong Kong team for Olympics and could be absent from National Games, says he has been snubbed by bosses

Wong Wan-chun, who was not in Hong Kong team for Olympics and could be absent from National Games, says he has been snubbed by bosses