Yet he came away with fifth place in the 96kg division, and the distinction of being Hong Kong’s first representative in the sport in more than a decade. The last had been Yu Weili, who was seventh in the women’s 53kg event at the 2012 Olympics.

Now Tung has had a taste of it, he wants more.

“This competition was a good step for me and Hong Kong. People know we have a team now,” he said. “I’m aiming to go to the Asian Championships again next year and the Asian Games in 2026.”

Tung also had to contend with being struck down with Covid-19 a week before the event, and feared he may have to pull out. His competition coach, Mike Wong Ho-yin, said that with proper backing and support, he could have challenged for a podium finish at the Olympic qualifying event.

“As a part-time athlete with minimal support, Matthew has reached a level where he can lift with some of the best in Asia,” Wong said. “It is an incredible achievement and hopefully he can inspire more lifters to represent Hong Kong.”

In February last year, Tung approached the Hong Kong Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association (HKWPA) about representing the city at the continental competition.

“I just thought I should shoot my shot and try to compete at this level because Hong Kong has the certificate to go,” Tung said.

The HKWPA agreed on the condition he fund the trip himself. It was unable to supply Tung with the Hong Kong-branded tracksuit that athletes are required to wear.

“I’m really grateful to the HKWPA because, in their eyes, I’m kind of an unknown,” Tung said. “But the whole process was very challenging.”

Tung said that at the championships, other athletes would mistake him and Wong for other teams’ coaches.

To prepare, Tung managed some training at Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) in Fo Tan – not by virtue of representing Hong Kong but through working there as a research assistant in the sports medicine department, helping the fencing team with recovery and preparation.

He used the gym during his lunch break, when employees are permitted access. After work, he would head to Wong’s gym in Aberdeen and train for another two to three hours.

Tung attended Hong Kong International School before moving to Blair Academy in New Jersey in 2015. He graduated with a degree in health science from Northeastern University in 2023.

“Part of the reason I moved back to Hong Kong and chose to work at HKSI is that I’m passionate about my job, but I also knew it would get me closer to representing Hong Kong in a sport like this,” he said.

Tung has largely trained himself since he started lifting at 15.

“I saw weightlifting on YouTube one day and connected with it,” he said. “It wasn’t a huge sport at my school, and there were no coaches, so I taught myself by watching videos. My biology teacher at Blair trained in weightlifting, and would give guidance now and then.”

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When he was 16, Tung took part in a competition in Hong Kong hosted by United States weightlifter Cheryl Haworth, an Olympic bronze medallist. Tung won, and Haworth said he should consider going professional.

At 19, he learned a physio at his baseball summer camp, Dr Lilian Chen Yue, was a rehabilitation consultant for the Chinese Olympic Committee.

“I asked her if I could go with her [to Beijing] as an unpaid intern. I said, ‘I’ll do anything to help.’ I went with her and met the Chinese weightlifting team.”

Tung, who also contacted and trained with Greece’s national team during a study abroad programme with his school, has since moved on from YouTube to an app that uses artificial intelligence to find flaws in technique.

The dream is the 2026 Asiad, but funding challenges remain. Should he get there, he will have earned his own tracksuit.