Hong Kong Sailing Federation targets global honours

by HKSF Media on 8 Apr 2015 Sailing in Hong Kong has been given a major boost with its elevation by the Sports Commission to top tier Elite Sports status and the appointment of a National Coaching Director to oversee the training and performance of sailors targeting global honours.

The President of the Hong Kong Sailing Federation, Mr Warwick Downes, said the new status of sailing reflects the recent successes of Hong Kong sailors at international level as well as the potential for other sailors to attain world class honours. Tse Siu-lun and Chik Ho-yin won a silver medal in the men's Asian 420 championships last year, while Tong Yui-shing and Tong Kit-fong sailed their Hobie 16 to a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2014 in Incheon.. Both crews are now training on different classes of boats in preparation for their attempts to qualify for the Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro next year.

'The resources provided by the Hong Kong Sports Institute such as specialist coaches, training facilities, medical, technical and financial support, will go a long way to ensuring our teams are competitive. It will also raise the profile of and enthusiasm for sailing amongst the next generation,' Mr Downes said. 'Whilst our current teams are focusing on the Olympics, we have other up and coming sailors who we can now prepare for World Championships and the Asian Games scheduled for Indonesia in 2018' he added.

The Hong Kong Sailing Federation, as the sport's national authority, has also revitalised its coaching capabilities with the appointment of former Olympic campaigner and experienced sailing instructor, Richard Knight, as full time Coaching Director. He will plan and manage training programmes for the HKSF sailing squad, including the elite sailing athletes, as well as strategies for high performance local sailors coming through the ranks.

'Competitive sailing at class level is probably the strongest it has ever been in Hong Kong,' Mr Downes said. 'We are confident that, with the support of the Sports Commission, the Hong Kong Sports Institute and our own strengthened infrastructure, we are in a solid position to build long term excellence across the breadth of our sport '.