Hong Kong looks to future stars
Games seen as spark for region's winter sports growth
An ambitious Hong Kong delegation is focused on developing top-level talent for the future, sending its largest contingent ever — over a hundred athletes — to the 9th Asian Winter Games.
Its athletes have been participating in six events — curling, figure skating, short-track speed skating, speed skating, ice hockey and alpine skiing.
"This event is the best stage to showcase the years of hard work following the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics," Yue Kwok-yin, chairman of the Ski Association of Hong Kong, China, told newspaper Wenweipo. "Of course, we hope that our athletes can win medals."
Yue believes that the Hong Kong team has an advantage in alpine skiing, but the results of skiing competitions are greatly influenced by on-site performance.
"Currently, Hong Kong's highest world ranking in alpine skiing is 57th and we hope to improve that ranking through this event, even aiming to win medals," he said.
Despite being a snowless city, development of winter sports in the special administrative region has been progressing steadily, especially in alpine skiing.
The number of alpine skiers has increased from one to eight from the 2022 Beijing Olympics to the Harbin Asian Winter Games, with four male and four female athletes.
