Portraits of National Sports Association

 

Interview with the Hong Kong Softball Association

Many in Hong Kong often confuse softball with baseball. In fact, since softball was derived from baseball, the two are extremely similar to each other in terms of equipment, venue and rules. Thrilling and exciting, softball has been hugely popular among young people since its invention. To date, over 20 million people around the world have participated in this sport. Since inception in 1937, the Hong Kong Softball Association (the Association) has been promoting softball locally through various channels, making it a popular sport in recent years. Moreover, with significant advancement and notable results achieved in competitions, the Hong Kong team is gradually faring well, in line with the top international standards, with the mission of competing on a global stage. Its development and prospects are encouraging and impressive. Mr Ng Ka-him, the President of the Hong Kong Softball Association, and Mr Cheung Hing, the Vice President, are here to share more with us today.

 

Mr Ng Ka-him President of   the Hong Kong Softball Association	Mr Cheung Hing Vice President of the Hong Kong Softball Association

 Q1. Why do you find softball so appealing compared with other sports?

 

Mr Ng Ka-him:

Softball is a team sport of strength and wits. Much of its appeal comes from less demanding requirements for players’ innate conditions. Much emphasis is placed on the spirit of teamwork instead. Players of the same team need to undertake different tasks and complement the weaknesses of one another. For players, making sound judgement in extreme urgency is no easy feat. That said, those sports which are challenging and difficult to learn are often very enticing. What is more, the softball outfit looks distinctively cool, which adds to its unique attractiveness.

 

Q2. What are your expectations for the long-term development of softball in Hong Kong?

 

Mr Cheung Hing:

The Association hopes to build a solid foundation for its future development by making it more popular among young people in the long run. In addition to continuing to organise various promotion activities in local schools, training classes and competitions for people of varying age groups to improve their skills, the Association actively explores sending athletes to take part in international competitions, in the hope of offering opportunities for young people to broaden their horizons. For instance, it has recently been confirmed that athletes from our U12 feeder programme will participate in the World Cup to be held in Taiwan in 2021. 

 

On another front, the Association proactively strives to host more international events in Hong Kong, in a bid to allow wider social enjoyment of softball matches of a high standard to promote the public’s understanding of and interest in softball. In addition, the Association has finalised a plan for the construction of two new batting cages at the Tin Kwong Road Softball Field in early 2021, while examining the feasibility of replacing the existing sand courts with clay and artificial turf to meet the future needs of the development of the sport.

 

 

 

Rising to Global Prominence

 

Thanks to years of relentless endeavours, professionalism and proactive formulation of development plans, the Association has helped Hong Kong softball scale new heights. On 14 October 2017, Mr Lau Kwok-yip of the Association became the first member from Hong Kong to be listed in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Softball Hall of Fame. In the same year, the Association hosted two local competitions, namely the Hong Kong International Men’s Softball Championship and the 6th Asian Junior (U19) Men’s Softball Championship 2017, which were the breeding ground for softball enthusiasts.

 

The year 2018 marked a significant milestone for the Association in going global. After years of hard work and training, the Hong Kong women’s softball team defeated Indonesia in the 2017 Taiwan Asian Women’s Softball Championship, securing the qualification to compete in the Asian Games. The team came in the spotlight by taking part in international events for the first time in August 2018, competing against other teams in the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. The team, consisting of all amateur players, scored the historic “first point in the Asian Games” in their first match against the South Korean team. Above all, the team gained valuable experience in major competitions, paving the way for future success.

 

After a year of arduous training, the Hong Kong women’s softball team has grown strength to strength in its competitiveness. In 2019, the women’s team made another breakthrough by defeating Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia in the Asian Cup, securing a coveted spot in the Asia and Oceania Olympic Qualifier. While the team failed to proceed further with one win and two losses in the Shanghai qualifier, the members were already ecstatic at the near-parity in standards between them and the best teams in the world. They realised that so long as they kept fighting, competing on the global stage is no longer a dream, but a reality within reach.

 

Ready for a Promising Future Ahead

 

“Despite the incredible success, the Association has endured lots of hardship. While we have our own softball field at Tin Kwong Road, the cost of repair and maintenance has soared owing to severe damage arising from typhoons. Fortunately, the Government has partly subsidised the operation of the Association in recognition and great support of our contributions, thereby greatly alleviating our financial pressures.” said Mr Ng Ka-him, President of the Hong Kong Softball Association.

 

“Furthermore, in January 2018, the Government launched the Five-Year Development Programme for Team Sports, under which the Hong Kong softball team was fortunate enough to be granted funds to purchase equipment and arrange members to receive overseas training, a testament above all to the Government’s recognition of the development of softball in Hong Kong.” Mr Ng continued.

 

With funding support from the Department, the Association promoted the sport in schools and set up youth teams to bring new blood into the Hong Kong softball scene, with a view to nurturing more competitive elite athletes. The Association has recently launched the Community Sports Club Project jointly with the Department to promote softball at the community level, in the hope of enhancing the public’s exposure to the sport, thereby moving towards the goal of popularising softball in Hong Kong.