Kiteboarders turn down support from wealthier windsurfer 'brothers'

The new Olympic discipline of kiteboarding has refused the hand of friendship from its "big brother", windsurfing, even though the latter enjoys all the financial support.

Kiteboarding will controversially replace windsurfing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio but it is struggling to get public funding after talks to merge the two sailing classes broke down.

Windsurfing is on the elite programme at the Sports Institute, has produced Hong Kong's only Olympic gold medallist and enjoys all the financial support from the government.

Kiteboarding has yet to clear its memorandum and articles with the Hong Kong Sailing Federation to become a recognised body to run the class.

"Even if we have been recognised by the sailing federation, we cannot obtain public funding immediately because we are still far from producing the required results as an elite programme," said Jay Chau Hong-wai, vice-president of the fledgling Hong Kong Kiteboarding Federation.

Chau said they had received offers from the Windsurfing Association of Hong Kong to put the class under its "big brother", which they had refused.

"We know this is the fastest way to secure financial support but we will become one of the classes under windsurfing, just like RSX, IMCO or techno if we accept their plan," he said.