Page 13 - Sphere No.13 (Dec 2004)

SPHERE 11
I t’s no walk in the park being a top
athlete. Even if you have natural
talent to take on the best, compet-
ing at either national or international
level not only requires time, effort and
dedication but a significant amount
of funding.
Entering events usually costs a fee.
Travelling to competitions and finding
somewhere to stay is also pricey. On top is
the expense of equipment and gear – not
to mention special diet supplements.
Then, of course, there is all that time
devoted to training, at the cost of earning
a living. Sport may be the road to riches
for those at the very top, but most
other athletes have to scrape by on
the breadline.
In Hong Kong, even those athletes who
do reach the highest levels struggle to
make a living. Take 27-year-old Daniel
Lee Chi Wo, for example. A gifted triath-
lete, Lee represented Hong Kong at the
Athens Olympics.
Although he finished 43rd out of 50
contenders over the gruelling 1.5km
swim, 40km cycle ride and 10km run, the
fact that Hong Kong boasted even
a qualifier for the event was a triumph.
After all, Hong Kong has only one
Olympic gold medal to its name – cour-
tesy of brilliant windsurfer “San San”.
And Lee isn’t giving up yet. “I didn’t do
as well as I hoped in Athens, but it was a
fantastic experience and amazing atmos-
phere,” he says. “I learned a lot which
should help me over the next two years,
competing in the All China Games in
2005 and the Asian Games in 2006.”
The cost of staying fit and preparing for
big events is substantial. “It’s really
a full-time job without any pay,” says Lee.
“Diet supplements for my training alone
cost me over HK$1,000 a month. Without
sponsorship, I doubt whether I could
have reached international level in my
triathlon career.”
Lee is one of the lucky few Hong Kong
athletes who have been able to focus on
reaching the highest competitive level –
and it’s thanks in large part to sponsor-
ship received fromWatsons Water.
“It’s a tough decision to become
a serious athlete in Hong Kong where
sports culture is still thin,” says Marina
Tsui, Sports Development Manager at
the A.S. Watson Group (ASW), who
administers Watsons Athletic Club
(WAC). Since its establishment in1989,
the club has been a major sponsor of
local Hong Kong athletes, funding
training camps and events for all, both
at the elite and junior level.
The club started from humble origins,
supporting just 30 athletes. But it has
thrived and now grown into the biggest
athletics sponsor in Hong Kong
with more than 500 members,
including a stable of over 300 youth ath-
letes under its wing.
“It is a way for us as a company
to put something back into the com-
munity,” says Tsui. “Of course, it also
helps promote the pure, healthy image
of Watsons Water.”
FUEL FOR
SPORT
Watsons Water is a star performer when it comes to providing a sporting chance for Hong Kong’s athletes.
By Tim Metcalfe