Olympians Cheung, Haughey named SAR's top sports stars
Edgar Cheung and Siobhan Haughey were named the "best of the best" at the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards on Wednesday, both of them claiming the honour for the third time. The nominated athletes swapped their tracksuits for dresses and suits to walk the red carpet at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai for the annual event dubbed the Oscars of the local sports industry.  Swimmer Haughey was named the SAR's top female athlete, with some of her accomplishments including winning the city's first World Aquatics Championships medal by finishing second in the women's 100 metres freestyle final, and taking home two golds, one silver and three bronzes at the Asian Games.  Ahead of this summer's Paris Olympics, where she's hoping to better her two silver medals from the Tokyo Games, she said this award gives her the motivation to work even harder. "I'm very honoured to win this award especially since we have so many amazing athletes in Hong Kong, and I think it's a great motivation for me leading up to the Olympics, and also it's really nice that we have this awards ceremony because it kind of recognises all the athletes' hard work," she said. "It's a nice occasion for all of us to dress up. It's nice seeing all the athletes not in their workout attire. It's a mini gathering before the Olympics. We get to celebrate all of our achievements from before, but then now we get to focus on what's really important which is the Olympics. We still have a few more months away, and I think we're all just trying to work hard, train hard and try to do our best at the Olympics." Other winners in the women's category were table tennis player Doo Hoi-kem, karate athlete Grace Lau, fencer Vivian Kong and three-time world snooker champion Ng On-yee.  Meanwhile, fencer Edgar Cheung won the best of the best on the men's side after snatching gold in the foil at both the World University Games and the Hangzhou Asian Games.  Joining him on the stage in the men's category were rising golfer Taichi Kho, badminton player Chu Man-kai, table tennis ace Wong Chun-ting and emerging tennis star Coleman Wong.  Cheung said he was especially thankful for his coach, team and family's support to get him to the Olympics once again. "That means a lot to me because from what I see in the video just now, for the whole year, we fought to give our best to get a better result," the Tokyo gold medalist said.  Three groups were given Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards in the Sports Combination category, covering small teams and duos. One of them was the men's foil team of Cheung, Ryan Choi, Leung Chin-yu and Yeung Chi-ka, who won bronze at the World Championships.  Choi said they were happy to win the award, even though they did not qualify for the Olympics. "We are very honoured. It's kind of like a comfort, so we hope we continue to do better, and maybe make another history [moment] in the next year and the coming years," he said.  Other winners in the sports combination category were the badminton mixed double pair of Jordan Tang and Tse Ying-suet. It's the fourth time the duo were honoured in the category, but it's the first time Tang has been able to make it to the ceremony. He said it was a memorable occasion.  "It has been a hard but important year for us. Our results weren't ideal prior to Olympic qualifications. It was only from last May that our condition and results slowly got better," he said.  "But now that we have a ticket to the Olympics, it is definitely great motivation. We need to thank everyone for their support in helping us get this award. Thank you." The third winner of the sports combination award belongs to the men's rowing pair Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun. Wong said the award is a sign of their improvement in the past two years and an affirmation of their Asian Games gold medal. He said, "Since I just announced that I am retiring, I would say this is the best reward for my retirement. I've been in competitive rowing for 10 years now. At the age of 24, I want to step outside my comfort zone, try new things, and find a different way to repay society." The men's football team, who reached the semi-finals at the Asian Games and featured in the Asian Cup, claimed the team awards for the first time in eight years.  Head coach Jorn Andersen said he hopes to see football continue to grow in the territory. "I want to say that it is very important that we have so many young players who take the step. And many young players who take the achievement in the front, to improving in the front. And to be part of the Hong Kong team in the future, so we that maybe again we can make some good results," he said.