Hong Kong athletes can succeed if North Koreans can, former world champion cyclist Wong Kam-po says
- ‘Athletes in North Korea may not have enough equipment but they are determined to succeed,’ Wong says as he insists his city’s riders are well supported
- Wong adds he may form a cycling team and send them to compete in Europe
Hong Kong has enough facilities and support for its cyclists to succeed at global level, the city’s former world champion Wong Kam-po has said, pointing out that North Korean athletes had to thrive without such backing.
The three-time Asian Games gold medallist said the determination of an athlete outweighed any infrastructure need, recalling his own successes before the construction of improved facilities such as Hong Kong Velodrome.
“I had competed at the Asian Games and the Olympics before that, so infrastructure was not the main issue,” the 50-year-old said as he opened his flagship bike store in Hong Kong on Friday.
“Athletes in North Korea may not have enough equipment but they are determined to succeed.
“When riding on the road, you were not there for the scenery. It’s always a straight line when you swim in the pool – it may seem boring but that’s the nature of [elite sports] training. I believe what we have in Hong Kong is really good already.”
Following the retirements of Wong and two-time Olympic bronze medallist Sarah Lee Wai-sze, in 2013 and this year respectively, the next great Hong Kong hope is track cyclist Ceci Lee Sze-wing – perhaps the city’s only hope ahead of the Paris Olympics.
