The Quest for Gold

• Which year did Lee Lai-shan win a gold medal in windsailing in the Olympics?
• What do Catherine Che, Wong Kam-po and Ng Siu-ching have in common?
• Two swimming champions helped carry the Olympic Torch in 1964 when it passed through Hong Kong. Who were they?
• Which event did Amy Chan and Chan Chi-choi win at the Commonwealth Games in 1990?
• Which of these events were included in the 1997 Festival of Sports: taekwondo, ice hockey, canoe polo, or parachuting?

The Quest for Gold, a comprehensive history of Hong Kong’s sports development, has these answers and much more.

The Quest for Gold is the first comprehensive record of sports in Hong Kong. It traces the practice of sport in Hong Kong dating back a century-and-a-half, when it was a pastime for foreign residents, and limited to a few clubs with access to grounds and pools. Some of the schools with their own sporting grounds and keen sports teachers encouraged students to participate in a range of games and join organized competitions.

Sports for the wider population took off only after the Second World War with the formation of the Amateur Sports Federation of Hong Kong in 1949/50, recognized as an Olympic Committee in 1951. Many sports associations have since formed and joined the Amateur Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong (ASF&OC). In 1997, the “amateur” status of the ASF&OC was removed, a change that coincided with the retirement of Mr A. de O. Sales, president of the federation for 30 years.

The Quest for Gold is a collection of articles on various aspects on the development of sports in Hong Kong during the 50-year history of the ASF&OC. Interspersed throughout are historical photographs, rare official documents, and personal anecdotes. The invaluable contributions of individuals and groups in Hong Kong to promote and participate in sports are all recounted here. This is the story of Hong Kong’s quest for gold.

Dr S. F. Lam and Dr Julian W. Chang are both orthopaedic surgeons by profession, and executive committee members of ASF&OC at different times. Dr Lam was among the first members of the federation; he retired in the early 1990s and was succeeded by Dr Chang. Dr Chang has been the chief medical officer for the Hong Kong delegation since the 1992 Olympic Games.

“We need to pay tribute to the pioneers and record their memories so that we would have a legacy for those, like us, who succeed them and gain from their contributions and, at times, sacrifices . . . We should thank the editors for compiling this compendium.” —The Hon. Timothy T. T. Fok, President, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

“Much thought, word and deed played an effective part in the making of a new Hong Kong for sport. Indeed, many men and women worked with dedication over the years for the common good. And, to them credit is due.” —Mr A. de O. Sales, Hon. Life President, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

“In the absence of a sports museum in Hong Kong, this book serves as a record of an important aspect of life and society of the colony. It is also a proper channel to pay tribute to the pioneers who helped so much in the development of sports and the athletes whose achievements made us proud.” —Professor Adam Lui, formerly of the History Department, Hong Kong