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The annual celebration and 4^th quarter 2013 presentation ceremony of the Sports for Hope Foundation (SFHF) Outstanding Junior Athlete Awards (OJAA) was held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) today. A total of 11 junior athletes were presented with awards in recognition of their outstanding performances between last October to December. In addition, winners of three honourable annual awards; the Most Outstanding Junior Athlete Award, the Most Promising Junior Athlete Award and the Most Supportive National Sports Association Award, were also revealed at the ceremony.

Officiating guests at the ceremony were Dr Trisha Leahy, Chief Executive of the HKSI; Mr Tony Yue MH JP, Vice President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC); Mr Raymond Chiu, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Press Association (HKSPA) and Miss Marie-Christine Lee, Founder of the SFHF.

For sixteen-year old swimmer Siobhan Haughey, 2013 has been an unforgettable and fruitful year. She made history by claiming the first world junior championship title for Hong Kong in the girls’ 100m freestyle event at the 4^th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships. With this breakthrough, she was named the Most Outstanding Junior Athlete Award for 2013. Haughey was thrilled to learn that she had been elected as the winner of this prestigious annual award. She thanked her family, teammates and coaches for giving her unconditional support and guidance along the journey. Besides the annual award, Haughey was also named a Certificate of Merit recipient with her good results attained at the 6^th East Asian Games.

The Most Promising Junior Athlete Award for 2013 went to squash player Ho Ka-po for receiving an OJAA title three times within the year. Ho, in fact, won the title nine times, making her one of the most awarded junior athletes in the history of OJAA. She is also the first Hong Kong junior athlete to reach number one in the World Squash Federation World Junior Circuit Ranking last August.

Ho said, “I have been under great pressure because of the expectations from others. However, I believe that ranking is not the most important thing for an athlete. Instead, I work harder and try to become as successful as my long time idol, former Hong Kong squash player Chiu Wing-yin.” The Hong Kong Table Tennis Association was once again elected as the Most Supportive National Sports Association in 2013.

Badminton duo Yonny Chung and Ng Tsz-yau received a 4^th quarter award, thanks to a strong performance at the 2013 Badminton Asia Youth (Under 17 & 15) where they beat 16 opponents from eight countries and won a silver medal in the mixed doubles event last October.

The junior women table tennis team comprising Doo Hoi-kem, Lam Yee-lok, Soo Wai-yam and Wong Chung-wan, earned the title again by winning a bronze medal in the junior girls’ team event at the ITTF World Junior Table Tennis Championships held in Morocco. This remarkable result made Doo and Soo the nine-time and six-time winners of the award respectively.

Other award winners in this quarter included Liu Kai-sum (dancesport), Chan Man-fung and Ma Pak-hong (roller sports), Kikabhoy Rafeek (windsurfing), and Ng Mui-wui (table tennis - Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped). Leon Philip Canastra D’Souza (golf) and Tam Hoi-lam (swimming) were also presented with the Certificate of Merit for their excellent performances in the 4^th quarter.

Organised by the HKSI and sponsored by the Sports for Hope Foundation from 2012, with support from the SF&OC and the HKSPA, the OJAA recognises the achievements of outstanding local junior athletes under the age of 19 on a quarterly basis. Each recipient is presented with a cash prize of HK$2,500, a voucher worth HK$2,500 and a certificate.

Awardees’ Achievements in the 4^th Quarter (PDF)