Singer Alex Fong criticizes swimming association for “unfair system”

Michael Shum

The Hong Kong China Swimming Association is putting the association’s system above the interests of athletes, said singer and former Hong Kong swimmer Alex Fong Lik-sun, after a talented nine-year-old was denied the chance to compete in a local championship due to the low status of his swimming club.

The nine-year-old boy, who achieved outstanding results, is a member of the Hong Kong Swimming Academy, co-founded by Fong. As the club is only a “competition member club” within the association and thus at the bottom of the three-tier membership system, i.e. below the “observer clubs” or “full members”, the boy was not allowed to take part in the local year-end championships.

The swimming association had previously stated in a statement that allowing all “competition member clubs” to participate in the association’s championships would have a negative impact on the points system for evaluating the affiliated clubs.

But Fong accused the association of focusing “only on securing its system, ignoring the interests of athletes and being indifferent to young swimmers who could train in its affiliated swimming clubs.”

Fong said he never asked the association to upgrade his swim club from a “competitive member” to an “observer club.” In January, he wrote to the association to express his intention to promote the sport and create competitive opportunities for young swimmers.

“I think that all swimmers who meet the standard should be given the right to compete in the championships, not to mention that (the nine-year-old) swam the standard time in a competition organized by the federation,” Fong said.

He also suggested that championship points earned by swimmers in “competitive member clubs” should not be included in the association’s points system to avoid compromising the “distribution of resources” between affiliated clubs.

But his efforts were in vain, even though he contacted Ronnie Wong Man-chiu, the association’s president, because no one contacted him after Sing Tao Daily – the Standard’s sister newspaper – exclusively reported on the incident on June 29.

“Every year is important for the development of young swimmers, and swimmers cannot afford to miss the end-of-year championship if they have already missed the beginning of the year championship,” Fong said.

Fellow singer Maria Cordero also supported Fong, saying her younger brother, son and grandchildren are also members of the Hong Kong swimming team.

“Why doesn’t the system select those who swim the fastest to compete? Why do swimmers have to join big clubs to compete? How is that fair?” asked Cordero.