Hong Kong sports arena has nurtured a cradle of outstanding young athletes who discovered their sports talent at an early age. They are dedicated to intensive training ongoingly and have achieved remarkable achievements in local and overseas sports competitions. Mr. Cheung Wang Fung Anson, a year two Chung Chi student pursuing the Bachelor of Education programme in Physical Education, Exercise Science and Health, is a Hong Kong record-breaking hurdler. He joined the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in early 2023 and achieved the best score with the groundbreaking mark of 7.85 in Men’s 60 Metres Hurdles, which has earned him prestigious recognition as “Hong Kong Best Hurdler”. When did Anson discover his talent in hurdling? What mission did he aspire to fulfil upon completion of his degree programme?

Q: When did you find out you are interested in and good at hurdling?

I have been keen on hurdling since I was a lower secondary school student. As I was not quite interested in studying at that time, I did not pursue higher education after completing the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education. I then took a gap year and tried to be a full-time athlete. I hoped to see how far I could go by participating in both local and overseas sports competitions. Meanwhile, I studied a Higher Diploma programme in Sport Coaching and wanted to gain more knowledge in this area. I did not get outstanding scores on the first attempt. However, I won the championship in 110-metre hurdles in Hong Kong sports competitions on my second and third attempts. Since then, I have been aware that I am talented in hurdling and hoped to further explore and develop my potential in this area.

Anson has been keen on hurdling since he was a lower secondary school student, and attempted to be a full-time athlete after completing the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education.

Q: You garnered outstanding achievements when you were just twenty. Have you encountered any frustrations so far?

When I participated in an invitational tournament in Singapore in 2018, I found out that my right thigh did not work quite properly after the competition. At first, I thought I had just got a minor injury. Later, I was startled to know that I had a leg muscle broken when I consulted a medical practitioner. I suffered acute pain in my right leg, and encountered difficulties in walking, not to mention taking part in competitions. At that time, I did not care about my injuries but wondered, “Is my athletic career coming to an end?” It took me half a year to recover. Thereafter, I tried to take part in some competitions but the results were just so-so. At that moment, I just thought I had not fully recovered. However, after I had taken part in a few competitions, I began to wonder if I had some unresolved psychological issues. Compared to my previous experience, I was less confident and even held back after the injury. Later, I recognised that I suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Having been aware of this health condition, I learned to adjust my mental status and tried to be more relaxed when participating in local competitions in France and Germany. I ended up relieving the mental stress brought about by my injury and resumed to normal status when taking part in competitions afterwards.

Having learned to adjust his mental status, Anson ended up relieving the mental stress brought about by his injury and resumed to normal status when taking part in competitions afterwards.

Q: In 2022, why did you decide to go back to school through the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission (SALSA) Scheme? What mission do you aspire to fulfil after graduation?

When I became a full-time athlete, besides receiving training in hurdling, I also learned from my coach that acquiring relevant knowledge is necessary for an all-round athlete. Under my coach’s guidance, I started to ponder over my future and understand that the lifespan of an athlete is limited. Therefore, we must think about our long-term prospects. Being a physical education teacher delivering sports knowledge and skills to children is quite suitable for me. Therefore, I decided to study a relevant programme and aspire to engage in physical education when I am no longer an athlete. Now, I am dedicated to being a full-time athlete on the one hand, and acquiring knowledge of physical education on the other hand. I hope I will be qualified to teach and turn over a new leaf after I have become a retired athlete.