p. 5-9 - Hong Kong Baptist University

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Behind the Medals
BU’s sports elite share their laughter and tears
This year’s Olympics created a swell of sporting interest in the community. When the races were done, winners
stepped up to receive their medals. But behind the medals and the moments of glory, many of these sportsmen
and womem have travelled long and arduous journies filled with struggles, failure and pain.
HKBU is fortunate to have within its student body a number of
accomplished young sportsmen and women. In this issue of New Horizons,
they share with readers their views and experiences in sports, and the
secret of how to strike a balance between the competing demands of
sports and studies.
Adrian Tam
Adrian is a freshman at the Department of Physical Education.
He and his teammates took the BU basketball team to win
the Hong Kong Post Secondary Colleges Athletic Association
Inter-collegiate Basketball Competition 2003-04.
Karen Mak
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Feature
The second-year associate degree student has 17 years’
experience as an equestrian. She has been taking part in
open equestrian competitions since she was six and has won
more than 50 awards over the years. She achieved a first
place in an international show jumping competition held in
India last year.
Bjork Cheng, Sabrina Lui and Phoenix Lo
The three Department of Physical Education students are members of the
Hong Kong Fencing team. Team members won the bronze medal in the Épée
Team Event at the Asian Fencing Championship this year and the group first
and second places in the Thailand Open Fencing Championship.
Jerry Ng, Patrick Pat, Childhood Lam, Esther Lui and
Yeung Lok-yiu
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They are members of the Hong Kong Woodball Team which achieved the group
second place in the Asia Inter-university championship held in Malaysia last
year. They also won the overall group second place and other awards at the
last Inter-varsity Woodball Tournament in Hong Kong.
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Hard work and perseverance
To become a successful sportsman, it takes both nature and nurture. A good physique
is important, but more important is the hard work put into training. Also important is
the right mindset – a will to succeed and the perseverance and courage to overcome
frustrations and failures.
Adrian Tam recalled how he overcame being rejected from joining the school basketball
team when he was in secondary 1. Standing at five feet eight at the time, Adrian was
tall for his age. However, weighing 200 lbs, his teacher thought he was too heavy to
play basketball.
He said: “I was dejected by the rejection, but instead of giving up I stepped up my
training.” One year later, he was accepted as a school team member in Division A when
he was only 15 and was selected to represent Hong Kong in the Asian Games the following
year. “Had I given up at the first rejection, I would not have come this far,” he said.
Having to undergo close to six hours of training a day, life was equally tough for
the three women fencing team members. Said Bjork Cheng: “The training part is tough
and lonely, but the experience is valuable. Even if you do not win medals, it is worth
it in the end because along the way, you make lots of friends and have your horizons
broadened.”
In the 2002 Asian Games, Bjork and her team won
third place in the team event. To prepare for the 2002
Asian Games, Bjork underwent rigorous training for
Adrian Tam
nine months, a gruelling experience that sometimes
drove her to tears.
Teammate Phoenix Lo said to achieve success, giving
one’s best is the first step. “You may not get anything
in return, but if you don’t try there will be no chance
at all,” she said.
To Karen Mak, perseverance means waking
up at five in the morning three times a week
and finishing more than an hour of training
in Sheung Shui before starting her day
in school. Her love for her chosen
sport is what keeps her going.
Conquering failure
and frustration
Everyone has his or her
own share of failure and
frustration in life, but the men
and women in competitive sports receive an
even larger share. Frustration and failure can
come from injuries or losing competitions. To
survive in the world of sports, one must be
able to handle failure and frustrations well.
Adrian Tam had to miss many matches
when he suffered a sprained ankle earlier
this year. It was a frustrating experience
as basketball is practically his life. “It’s a
helpless feeling when I can only sit and watch while
my team plays.” However, he always encourages
himself: “I may not be the best one, but definitely
not the worst.”
Karen Mak always remembers her family’s advice
that “arrogance is a sure road to failure.” She said:
“Victories are transient and should only be viewed
as incentives to carry on. What’s more important
is knowing how to face and rebound from failures.”
But one should never accept defeat. Said Bjork
Cheng: “You must never lose confidence in yourself.
Even if you lose, you must not let go. Never let
defeats become your burden. Instead, use them as
motivation for advancement.”
In sport, one must be able to maintain a cool
head even when you are in a bad spot. Jerry Ng
cited as an example the time when his woodball
team was ranked last in one of the games while
competing in Malaysia. Instead of being upset, the
team calmly analysed the strategies of other teams,
and figured out how to improve.
Childhood Lam believes nervousness can lead
to failure. “You must go into a game with a peaceful
mind. It’s not about how strong your opponent is; it’s
about whether you can perform at your best.”
Why they choose HKBU
The career span as a frontline sportsman is
short and our young sports elite know this only
too well. That is why they choose to pursue university
studies. But why did they all choose HKBU
Jerry Ng of the Department of Physical Education
said the attraction lies in the dual emphasis of the
HKBU curriculum on practical skills as well as
management knowledge. He said: “Equipping oneself
with management knowledge has become even more
important with teachers being expected to be also
involved in school management.”
The management aspect in the curriculum is
also what attracted Bjork Cheng to HKBU as she
needs the knowledge to achieve her ambition of
helping sports development in Hong Kong.
Teammate Phoenix Lo had been offered a place
to study human resources management by another
university. She chose the Department of Physical
Education at HKBU instead because of her love for
sports.
To Adrian Tam, who was in HKBU’s associate
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degree programme last year, the University has been
nurturing him which he does not allow himself to
forget.
Bjork Cheng, Sabrina Lui and Phoenix Lo
Balancing sports and studies
Pursing a life in sports and academic studies at
the same time is not easy. What are the secrets of
success for HKBU’s sportsmen and sportswomen
Willpower is the key for Karen Mak. No matter
how hard it is, Karen has promised herself not to miss
classes while maintaining a heavy training schedule.
Encouragement and support from her friends also help.
Phoenix and Sabrina, who are in their sophomore
year have accepted “studying in the daytime and training
in the evening” as the routine of their life. Phoenix
is also finding time to try other sports, such as canoeing,
rock-climbing and sailing. Her key to success is “good
time management.”
Bjork said studies and sports are of equal importance
to her so she will not give up one for the other. She
noted that most teachers and classmates in her
department have a background in sports and show
much understanding.
All-rounded university life
This group of sports elite is enjoying its university
life and is determined to make the best use of
opportunities that campus life offers. They all realise
that this is a precious opportunity that was not available
to most of the sportsmen and women in past generations.
The “Three Musketeers” épée team members are
starting a fencing club on campus as promoting the
sport is in line with the whole-person education ideal.
The woodball sportsmen and women ask their
professors to join them in games after class. Said Patrick
Pat who is in his senior year: “We must practise what
we learn from the books.”
Adrian Tam believes sportsmanship is a force
contributing to solidarity between students and alumni.
“I hope members of the HKBU family constantly
demonstrate team spirit on the sport ground,” he said.
The sporting field is a microcosm of society at
large. A medal represents not only the joy of victory,
but also the fighting spirit, the tears and the sweat
of the men and women in sports. The medal also holds
many lessons and meaning of life with HKBU’s sports
elite determined to persevere with its search for
excellence in both studies and in sports.
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Karen Mak
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Jerry Ng, Patrick Pat, Childhood Lam, Esther Lui and
Yeung Lok-yiu
High reputation for HKBU
Physical Education degrees
Hong Kong Baptist University is
the first local institution to offer a BA
in Physical Education and Recreation
Management, and an MSc in Sport
and Leisure Management.
Dr. Leung Mee-lee, Head of the
Physical Education Department, said:
“Our programmes incorporate management elements that enhance their
depth and breadth.”
She added: “We are familiar with the needs of the market and employers,
thus our programme covers human resources management, financial,
organisational and facility management, and we uphold dual emphasis
in theory and practice by arranging various internships and visits for
students.”
Graduates have found it easy to secure ideal jobs with satisfactory
pay, said Dr. Leung. They have also been winning positive comments
from employers, she said.
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