Hong Kong squash stars Leo Au and Joey Chan quit – will team lose its grip as a regional power?
- Asian Games gold medallists announce their retirements as they start a new chapter in their life away from the sport
- Former head coach Tony Choi remains confident a new generation players will take up the baton and be ready for the next Games in 2022
Hong Kong squash has been rocked by two more retirements of key players with men’s Asian Games individual gold medallist Leo Au Chun-ming and women’s gold medal team member Joey Chan Ho-ling calling it quits in a move that will further loosen the city’s grip as a regional power.
Hong Kong clinched two gold and two silver medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta but there was anxiety among observers who felt three key retirements in three months could spell the end of Hong Kong’s dominance in Asia.
In March, Annie Au Wing-chi, Hong Kong’s highest-ever ranked player and the elder sister of Leo Au, hung up her racquet, ending a brilliant 15-year career that saw the 31-year-old win team gold in Jakarta. She was also ranked as high as six in the world, attained in May 2012.
Former squash head coach at the Sports Institute, Tony Choi Yuk-kwan, said the trio’s retirement would leave a huge void in the Hong Kong team but he remained upbeat of the future.
“These three players are now in their 30s and need to consider their future after sports,” said Choi, now the deputy chief executive at the training centre in Fo Tan. “It’s logical they have chosen to leave competitive squash if they felt they had better [career] opportunities.
“The trio has made a significant contribution to Hong Kong squash over the last decade and it will be hard to replace them because they have had lots of experience and international exposure.
Annie Au and Joey Chan’s departure will be felt in the women’s team as they were our number and number two players respectively. But their departure means the younger ones would have the opportunity to grow and prove themselves on the international stage.
Choi said squash had laid down a strong benchmark over the years and is confident the young players will be able to come through the ranks and prove themselves on the international stage.
“The next Asian Games is in two years’ time and the upcoming players must take the opportunity and be ready for the Games,” he said. “Hong Kong might not be able to repeat the results we achieved in Jakarta but I am quite confident we won’t be far away from winning medals.”
An Asian Games medal is the minimum requirement for any tier A sport to remain in the Sports Institute elite programme, which is essential to attain essential funding.
It is understood the Au siblings have secured a job in the government or public sector, while Chan hopes to complete her university degree next year at Baptist University before she starts a new chapter in her life in a different field.
Leo Au, 30, reached a career-high 20 in 2018, winning 11 titles in a career-spanning 16 years. His last title came at the QSF Open in Doha last summer.
Alongside his title haul, Au also has the distinction of competing in – and winning – the longest professional squash match of all time, beating Canada’s Shawn Delierre in a gladiatorial 170-minute battle at the 2015 Gas City Pro-Am.
“I really enjoyed playing on the tour,” Au said on the Professional Squash Association website where he announced his retirement. “Although I hope I can stay longer on the tour, I think it’s time for me to look for my next journey.
“Squash took me on a miracle journey and brought me a lot of memories. I would like to thank everyone who has given me support, guidance and reassurance in my squash career, and also my sponsors for their generous support. Without any of them, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my dream.”
Following’s Au departure, the men’s team will now be led by 2018 Asian Games silver medallist Max Lee Ho-yin and Yip Tsz-fung, while upcoming players Henry Leung Chi-hin, Lau Tsz-kwan and Wong Chi-him will be looking to break into the senior ranks.
In the women’s team, Liu Tsz-ling and Tong Tsz-wing will become the most senior players following the retirement of Au and Chan, but Ho Tse-lok, Lee Ka-yi, along with youngster Chan Sin-yuk will be the players to watch.
