Hong Kong surfing ban forces city’s Olympic Games hopeful to join Swiss national team
Hong Kong has no surfing team, no facilities and a government ban on surfing at any public beaches
A Hong Kong surfing wunderkind has started training with the Swiss national team as the landlocked country sets its sights on glory at future Olympic Games.
Mahohi Nguyen Tang was born in Hong Kong to Swiss parents and learned to surf at Big Wave Bay, but with no national team and a recent government crackdown on the sport, his father said it was more difficult for him to progress further in the city.
On Wednesday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said authorities were considering prosecuting two people caught surfing at Big Wave Bay on October 25, when a red flag was hoisted because of the approaching Tropical Storm Trami.
Lawmaker Adrian Pedro Ho King-hong said it was sad to see Hong Kong lose a potential star, and he was “puzzled” by the government’s approach to the sport.
“Absolutely [we would consider representing Hong Kong], we would be so proud, and I think Hong Kong people would be proud [but] I don’t even think there is a national Hong Kong surfing team,” Nguyen Tang’s father, who requested we do not use his name, said.
Ten-year-old Nguyen Tang, who wants to be a professional surfer, took up the sport with his parents when he was six years old, and his dad said he quickly became the best in the family.
