Asian Games debut at 81 – bridge player Lee Hung Fong is Malaysia’s oldest athlete in Jakarta
She is 70 years older than the youngest competitor from the country, 11-year-old skateboarder Ian Nuriman Amri
Malaysian Lee Hung Fong is representing her country at contract bridge, which is making its Asian Games debut in Jakarta thanks to Indonesian organisers who feel their country has a strong tradition in the card game and are likely to be among the favourites.
Lee teaches bridge classes at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur, Royal Selangor Club and Royal Selangor Golf Club and takes pride in the fact that she produces future bridge players.
“I am very, very happy to be there because I am the oldest member of the team and I hope I can get through with my teammates and hope we all enjoy the Games and have a good time,” Lee was quoted as saying by local media.
“My achievement has been teaching and bringing up some good students [in bridge].”
Lee could possibly the oldest-ever athlete at the Asian Games. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Canadian shooter Robert Pitcairn made his debut at the age of 79 years and nine months.
Lee is 70 years older than the youngest member of the Malaysian Asian Games squad, 11-year-old skateboarder Ian Nuriman Amri.
The bridge competition in Jakarta comprises men, women, men’s pairs, mixed team, mixed pairs and super mixed team disciplines.
The test event for the contract bridge competition was held in Indonesia from November 28 to December 5 last year with hosts Indonesia and China among the medals as well as India.
Bridge involves four players, two on each team, who vie to collect the most points from a series of deals.
