Hong Kong’s windsurfing squad set for Asian Games, with Ma Kwan-ching leading charge
- Busy summer ahead with Paris Olympics qualifier and the Asian Games both on the horizon
- Newly crowned Hong Kong No 1 Ma Kwan-ching will lead debutantes Cheng Ching-yin, Au Ling-yeung and Ngai Wai-yan to Hangzhou
Asian Games silver medallist Ma Kwan-ching will lead a debutante windsurfing team to the regional Games in Hangzhou, with a double mission to complete this summer.
After two recent additional selection races, the Windsurfing Association of Hong Kong finalised the Asian Games squad on Friday.
Selection winners Cheng Ching-yin and Ma will compete in their respective men’s and women’s IQFoil class, and runners-up Au Ling-yeung and Ngai Wai-yan in the RS: X, with three of them making their Asian Games debuts.
“It was more than two years of stress for us to go through the selection period twice, and I’m so happy it’s finally over,” said the 25-year-old Ma, who won a silver medal in the mixed RS: One at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
Hong Kong chose their team in early 2022, but after the Hangzhou Asian Games were postponed last May because of a rise in Covid-19 cases, another two rounds of selection races were held – the Asian Championships in Stanley in December, and the IQFoil Class International Games in Lanzarote, Spain last month.
According to head coach Chan King-yin, it is “fair to everyone” because the results of all selection races were evenly split, with Ma and debutante Cheng remaining the top scorers to earn Olympic class spots.
