Hong Kong Squash team member Yip Tsz-fung won a gold medal in the men’s event of the World University Squash Championship in September, the first Hong Kong player to do so. His teammate Calvin Wong claimed a bronze medal at the same event.
The pair have known each other since childhood. They support each other and hope to play a role in promoting squash in Hong Kong.
Twenty-three-year-old Yip has played squash since he was seven. He was the Men’s Champion in the Malaysian Tour No. 1-3 leg in 2015. He also claimed a bronze medal in the men’s team event in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
Yip currently ranks 34 in the world and number three in Hong Kong.
He said: "There are two points in squash that attract me. First of all it is high speed, because in a small court like this the ball is going so fast. On the other side, I think squash has a lot of variety. When you do a slight adjustment in different angles, the outcome will be hugely different."
Going for gold
Working as teammates as well as going head-to-head as rivals, Yip and Wong faced each other in the semi-final of the World University Squash Championship.
Yip defeated Wong and made it into the final, where he claimed gold. He said taking home the medal was the culmination of all his efforts.
"Before the match I forced myself not to think about winning or losing, because that might be a factor that affects my performance. So when I finished the last rally and I knew I won it felt kind of unreal. What you have worked for, for all the time before, it’s all worth it."
Wong shows his sportsmanship when recalling the match.
"I think everyone who loses will feel some disappointment. But if you lose to a teammate, then you just cheer up a bit. We just want to enjoy the game and play the best squash we can."
Brotherly bond
Twenty-two-year-old Wong has played squash since he was nine. Just behind Yip, he ranks number four in Hong Kong.
In secondary school the pair joined the Hong Kong Sports Institute’s junior squad.
After that they enrolled in university and continued at the institute to facilitate their training.
They have 10 training sessions per week at the institute, yet have to maintain their university studies.
Through their hard work they have not only won medals, but also developed a strong bond.
Wong said: "I had known Yip for many years already. When I was small, Yip was a much more talented player and he achieved much better results in the junior championships.
"We became really good friends since we were training in the sports institute. We are training together every day. We are also roommates together, so we actually see each other the whole day."
Group effort
Team Hong Kong claimed four medals in the World University Squash Championship - one gold, one silver and one bronze in both the men’s and women’s event, plus a silver in the mixed team event.
Twenty-four-year-old silver medallist Eunice Tong is happy with her performance in the women’s event.
"Being in the final is already a bonus for me. I am personally quite impressed with myself in the final because I did try my best and I played what I learned and trained for."
Playing squash since she was six, Tong says the sport keeps her on her toes.
"You and the competitor are staying in the same court. Sometimes you can’t see your rival, you have to guess the location."
Squash potential
Hong Kong Squash Head Coach Tony Choi is proud of the athletes’ performance.
He said their strong results and the high usage rates of squash courts in Hong Kong make him feel optimistic about the sport's development in the city.
"Squash is popular in secondary schools. In primary schools it’s also popular. I think squash has an advantage because it is all-weather.
"For the squash social league, we’ve got for the one city the most popular squash league in the world, because we’ve got more than 2,000 people regularly playing from Monday to Saturday for different divisions and different leagues.
"For the junior division we do a lot for our junior programmes, for our mini squash programme, for our development scheme. Yip, Tong and Wong all come from our feeder system. So I think our feeder system shows it’s very successful."
The three athletes want to do more to promote squash development in Hong Kong.
Yip said: "If I can do better, there will be more people seeing me putting in my effort, and I hope that might inspire them to play squash or just try squash, because I think if you try it you will like it."
Wong said: "I want to do my best in squash tournaments so the media can publicise it to the public, so citizens can know about the news and then start to know about what squash is, and Hong Kong can do very well in squash areas."
Tong said: "If we would like to promote squash, we think we can start from schools. I think going to different schools and promoting squash is quite a good idea for the whole community."
