Songs of sweat and tears
CUHK teams claim passionate wins in inter-university tournaments
After a six-month hiatus caused by the fifth wave of the pandemic, the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong—host of local university sports competitions—restarted its games calendar in early June. The resumption of the season saw CUHK teams go on a winning streak, with the men’s tennis and women’s table tennis teams claiming championship titles, and the men’s handball and basketball teams finishing runners-up.
Finishing first in their group in the preliminary round, the tennis team confronted City University (CityU) in the final. Captain Law Pui-yuen recalls the tension in the run-up to the match: “Shirley Zhang, former national team member, was playing on their side. Our key members Lam Yee-lok and Chau Wing-sze were representing Hong Kong in overseas competitions and couldn’t play the final.” To improve their odds, the team stepped up their training and looked into a range of strategies, holding long consultations with their coach to come up with the best line-up. On match day, as CityU was closing in, team members gritted their teeth and held on, eventually bagging a 3-2 victory and taking the crown.
As well as lifting the trophy, the men’s tennis team also featured Sunny Yue, the competition’s most valuable player. Asked the secret of his success, Yue answers with the time-honoured axiom “practice makes perfect”, as he fits in extra tennis and fitness sessions ahead of tournaments. He also shows no mercy to his opponent during a game. “Even when the opponent is not strong, putting all into a match can boost my teammates’ confidence.” Maintaining his composure is another element of his success; he admits that playing for the school with a lot of people watching can bring a lot of pressure. “I shift my focus from nervousness to what techniques and strategies I can use in the game,” he says.
Toil and sweat are no guarantee of success, however. Failure to break a run of runner-up finishes is a source of anguish to handball team captain Nelson Lam: “For three years in a row, we’ve been playing the same team on the same final stage,” he says. “It was different this year because we were nearer the title than in the last two finals. Five minutes before the end, we were still in the lead.” Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) last-gasp drop goal, however, snatched away the team’s chance at victory. Despite missing the title by a hair’s breadth, Lam is relieved by the solidarity and cohesion shown by the team in the last few matches. He hopes their successors will continue with the same indefatigable spirit and keep the same will to win.
“Though we are yet to lift the title, from first stepping on the hardwood flooring of the final stadium three years ago to now, we’ve given our all and, in the process, we’ve learnt a lot,” says Lam.
After finishing runner-up last time, the basketball team was vying with PolyU for the championship this season. Lagging behind for most of the game, the team pulled level and even gained a slight advantage in the final quarter. But a goal scored by PolyU 1.8 seconds before the end doomed the team to a disillusioning 73-71 defeat.
“The ending was not perfect, but we have no regrets—just a tinge of sadness,” says captain So Kwun-wai. Despite the loss, the growth of the team, the trust between teammates and the fighting spirit delight him, he says, highlighting the camaraderie and lifelong friendship that go far beyond: “Basketball brings us together. We’ve gained good brothers, enthusiastic applause, and recollections of practising and savouring siu-yeh (late-night meals) together.”
