Sports Hero

 

Mr So Ka Kin Secretary General of   Hong Kong Boxing Association   One can easily tell the passion Secretary-General So has for boxing from our interview with him, in which he could not help sharing his excitement when mentioning boxing. He started out as an athlete and became a veteran step by step. After retiring, he served as the Secretary General of the Hong Kong Boxing Association (the Association). Despite the change of his role, he remains a great boxing enthusiast who talks so passionately about the development of the sport in Hong Kong.

Secretary-General So was very energetic in his youth, and would participate in all types of sports. One day, he came across a poster of a boxing course at sports centres and signed up the course out of curiosity. Since then, he has formed a special and inseparable bond with boxing. The reason why Secretary-General So fell in love with boxing at first sight was that boxing could impress others with the greatness of being cool and passion. With proper training, he discovered more joy from this sport, as he realised how readily boxing has improved his agility, flexibility and sense of coordination. In addition, the content of boxing training varies in diversity, involving various combinations of techniques. That was the moment when he aspired to become a boxer. In youth days, he participated in all kinds of open competitions. Later, he gradually became a “big brother” who assisted other boxing lovers with their training and preparation for competitions. After retiring, he wished to stay with the Association, in the hope of contributing towards its future development. 

 

When he first joined the Association, there were limited training venues in Hong Kong.  So only local competitions and regional competitions in Asia could be held on an irregular basis. Thanks to the funding and support of the Home Affairs Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Department over the years, it was feasible for the Association to commence various reform and development packages. With continuous refinement by the Association, training courses organised by the Association and its affiliates are now available in almost every district, and local competitions of varying types are held almost monthly. In addition, detailed arrangements are made at the beginning of each year, with a view to allowing coaches and athletes alike to prepare for the competitions under training schedules catering to their needs for optimal forms. On another front, the Association takes proactive measures in improving the standards of local athletes, such as conducting a year-long training program, under which long-term training programmes and chances to enrol in competitions in Europe, China, and Hong Kong will be offered to local athletes, in the hope of enhancing their skills and forms in line with the international standards.

 

Secretary-General So believes that boxing remains an amateur sport in Hong Kong. Yet, thanks to the stellar success of Rex Tso Sing-yu in recent years, members of the public have started to know more about and become interested in boxing. Inspired by Rex, some of the budding boxers aspire to achieve notable results in competitions for Hong Kong. It is hoped that the success of Rex will make boxing a more popular and professional sport in the public’s eyes. At present, the Hong Kong Boxing Association has more than 80 member organisations. The Association is planning a new publicity campaign targeted at youths, in the hope of giving young people a wider exposure to boxing and identifying athletes with potential, thereby nurturing a new generation of talented boxers for Hong Kong.

 

Despite years of service for the Association, Secretary-General So remains committed to his goal in those very early days, and hopes to devise a targeted boxing development plan over the long run for the Association, in a bid to encourage more active public participation in and support for boxing development, while offering local boxing participants more training and exchange opportunities for enhanced and professional training to improve their overall standards.   It is hoped that local athletes will join hands to achieve notable successes in competitions for Hong Kong.