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A total of 93 coaches were honoured at the 2009 Hongkong Bank Foundation (HBF) Coaching Awards Presentation today for their hard work and effort in helping Hong Kong’s athletes achieve sporting success in the international sporting arena last year.

The Awards Presentation was officiated by Dr Eric Li, Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI); AFM Conway, Vice-President of Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC);Professor Frank Fu, Chairman of the Hong Kong Coaching Committee (HKCC);and Mark McCombe, Chief Executive Officer Hong Kong of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), to pay tribute to the top coaches who have been working hard behind the scene.

Organised by the HKCC and funded by the HBF since 1993, the HBF Coaching Awards are the most prestigious Awards and the sole programme to commend the achievements of local coaches from the community to elite levels on a territory-wide basis in recognition of their dedication and contribution to athletes training and the booming sports development in Hong Kong.

Professor Frank Fu, Chairman of the HKCC, said in his welcome speech, “Hong Kong athletes attained excellent results at the East Asian Games last year.  We thoroughly understand that such outstanding achievements are the concerted efforts of both the coaches and athletes.  We are pleased to have the HBF to fund the Awards Scheme to pay tribute to these coaches.  We are also thrilled to receive a record high of 151 nominations this year, showing that the Awards Scheme is well recognised by the sport sector.” 

Mark McCombe, Chief Executive Officer Hong Kong, HSBC, also commended awardees for their effort and enthusiasm. He said, “Coaches should get the recognition they deserve. They should be recognised for their expertise, their contributions to their athletes’ successes and all the things they do for their athletes that are overlooked – from being their biggest cheerleader to being a mentor to being a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. That’s why the Hongkong Bank Foundation has been funding the coach education programme and the Awards since early 1990s.”

2009 HBF Coaching Awards were presented in six categories, namely Coach of the Year Awards, Distinguished Services Award for Coaching, Coach Education Award, Coaching Excellence Awards, Best Team Sport Coach Award and Community Coach Recognition Awards.

There were five recipients in the Coach of the Year Awards this year. Leading the way in the senior athletes category was wushu coach Gao Song in individual sport and table tennis coaches Li Huifen and Cui Xiaoyan (the latter being coach for the mentally handicapped) in team event.  In the junior athletes category, the Coach of the Year Awards for individual sport and team event went to windsurfing coach Yu Wing-ho and squash coach Leung Kan-fai respectively.  Gao, Yu and Leung have received the prestigious awards for the first time.

Having got the Coaching Excellence Awards for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008, wushu coach Gao Song collected his first Coach of the Year title in the senior athletes, individual sport category this year.  He led the Hong Kong wushu team to snatch 3 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals at the 10^th World Wushu Championships. 

Table Tennis coach Li Huifen earned her third consecutive Coach of the Year title in the senior athletes, team event category between 2007 and 2009.  Li coached Jiang Huajun and Tie Yana to win a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 50^th World Team Table Tennis Championships.

Sharing the same title with Li in the senior athletes, team event category was Cui Xiaoyan who was recipient of the Coach of the Year Awards in 2003 and 2005.  She caught the eyes of judges by leading the women’s table tennis team to swipe 2 gold medals in women’s doubles and women’s team at the 2nd INAS-FID Global Games.

First-time recipient of the Coach of the Year Award for the junior athletes, individual sport category, windsurfing coach Yu Wing-ho led the up-and-coming athletes to achieve excellent results, including a gold medal by Chan Hei-man in RS:X girls class at the Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships 2009, and a bronze medal by Lo Sin-lam in RS:X youth women at the RS:X Youth World Championships 2009. 

The Coach of the Year title in the junior athletes, team event category went to Leung Kan-fai from squash. Leung led the junior squash team to return with a silver medal in junior women’s team at the World Junior Squash Championships 2009, as well as 2 bronze medals in junior men’s and women’s teams at the 14^th Asian Junior Squash Championships.  Leung had earned the title of Coaching Excellence Awards for five times before and the 2009 Coach of the Year title is his debut honour. 

Squash coach Choi Yuk-kwan won the Distinguished Services Award for Coaching for his long-term commitment to the sport.  Choi has served as the Head Squash Coach of the HKSI since 1999.  He has led his athletes to accomplish significant improvement and outstanding performance in many major and international competitions during the past 10 years, including a total of 9 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the World Junior Women’s Squash Championships in 2005, 2007 & 2009, Asian Games in 2002 & 2006, and 2009 East Asian Games (EAG).  Choi also strives to maximise athletes’ potential and demonstrates concern for their all-round development including preparation for retirement. 

Football coach Kim Pan-gon earned the title of Best Team Sport Coach Award for the first year after leading the Hong Kong team to clinch a gold medal at the EAG.  For the Coach Education Award, in consideration of the judging criteria, it was not given this year. 

The Coaching Excellence Awards were presented to a historic high record of 69 coaches who led an athlete or a team to achieve outstanding performance at major international competitions in 2009, while 23 coaches were presented with the Community Coach Recognition Awards for having made a special contribution to the development of athletes and coaches in the community for a period of not less than three consecutive years.

In addition to the regular Annual Awards Presentation, the excellent performance that coaches and athletes had achieved in the EAG last December should also be credited.  Coaches of the athletes who earned medals at the EAG were also invited to the Ceremony and accepted applause from guests and other coaches. 

This year the Awards Scheme was promoted for the first time through the TV channel on buses to introduce the Awards Scheme to the public as well as to recognise the coaches’ strenuous efforts.  Commuters would continue to view the programmes from mid May to early June.

The HKCC, a joint committee of the SF&OC and the HKSI, was established in 1991 with aims of formulating and implementing short-term and long-term strategies for the development of coach education and accreditation programmes in Hong Kong.  The Hong Kong Coach Education Programme has been funded by the HBF with a total commitment of more than HK$21 million since 1992.  Throughout the years, over 20,000 coaches have been benefited from the training and recognition programmes in the Programme.

List of Recipients for the 2009 Hongkong Bank Foundation Coaching Awards (PDF)