Former Hong Kong Tennis Star Chan Yung-yau Returns to Asian Games After 12 Years in Paddle Tennis
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Former Hong Kong tennis star Chan Yung-yau, now 37 and a mother, is set to make an extraordinary comeback to the Asian Games—12 years after her last appearance—competing in paddle tennis, a sport she only began playing earlier this year. Chan, who previously represented Hong Kong in tennis at three consecutive Asian Games from 2006 to 2014, will become a "four-time Asian Games veteran" when she lines up in the women's doubles event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Partnered with Liu Hiu-wai, the pair won silver at the Hong Kong Open this year and have been building their ranking through intensive international competition, currently sitting at approximately world number 270 in women's doubles. Having recently returned from a two-week training camp in Bali, Indonesia, Chan is focused on delivering her best performance in Nagoya while inspiring her young son with her dedication to elite sport.
Key Points
- The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games paddle tennis event runs from September 28 to October 3 at the Nagoya City East Sports Center, awarding two gold medals
- Chan Yung-yau previously competed in tennis at the 2006 Doha, 2010 Guangzhou, and 2014 Incheon Asian Games before retiring from competitive tennis
- Chan and Liu Hiu-wai captured the women's doubles silver medal at the Hong Kong Open this year
- Hong Kong is sending a four-man, four-woman team to compete in both men's and women's doubles paddle tennis events
- Over the past eight months, Chan participated in eight international tournaments to earn ranking points and qualify for the Games
Why It Matters
Chan's participation highlights how elite athletes can reinvent themselves in new disciplines well into their careers, challenging the notion that professional sport is exclusively a young person's domain, while also raising the profile of paddle tennis across Asia as the sport makes its Asian Games debut .
Chan's participation highlights how elite athletes can reinvent themselves in new disciplines well into their careers, challenging the notion that professional sport is exclusively a young person's domain, while also raising the profile of paddle tennis across Asia as the sport makes its Asian Games debut .