Hong Kong eager for more sporting success

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics raised swimming's profile, with Haughey winning silver medals in the women's 100 meters and 200 meters freestyle events, becoming the first Hong Kong athlete to win two medals at an Olympics.

Wong is confident that Haughey will enjoy success at the next summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.

The Hong Kong China Swimming Association is one of the national sports associations, or NSAs－local governing bodies responsible for the promotion and development of their respective sports in the city.

As president of the association, which is involved in athlete selection and discussing strategies for Olympic swimming events, Wong paid close attention to Haughey's training.

He said she could have shone at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, but after discussions with the HKSI's head swimming coach and with Haughey, the swimmer decided not to compete, focusing instead on Tokyo 2020.

However, Hong Kong's hopes of winning more medals do not rest solely with Haughey.

Wong said: "We took three relay teams to the Olympics in Tokyo. These are swimmers who got through the trials and qualified for the Games. This number of teams is unprecedented (for a city) and all of them have the potential to win medals at the next Olympics."

He added that he believes the overall level of the Hong Kong swimming team has greatly improved.

Wong also said Hong Kong now has 44 public swimming pools and 42 public beaches, making swimming a relatively accessible sport for residents.