We need more government support to train full-time, says HK Paralympics star Alison Yu
Wheelchair athlete returns from the Rio Games calling for a new funding category to be set up for disabled athletes so they can aim for more glory at the next Games in Tokyo
Seven-time Paralympics gold medallist Alison Yu Chui-yee has appealed to the government to provide more financial support for disabled athletes so they can aim for more glory at the next Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.
Wheelchair fencer Yu, one of the most successful Hong Kong Paralympians ever and a silver medallist in the women’s individual foil (category A) in Rio, urged the government to set up a new funding category for full-time disabled athletes.
Yu returned to Hong Kong on Wednesday as part of a 24-member Hong Kong squad who came away with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals from Rio, the worst result for Hong Kong at a Paralympics in terms of gold medal count and total medal tally since the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
“I think its time to consider full-time financial support for disabled athletes so that we can improve our results at the Tokyo Paralympics,” said Yu, who failed to win a gold medal for the first time since making her Paralympics debut at 2004 Athens, where she clinched four gold medals.
“What we have discovered in Rio while we were there is that many disabled athletes are now training full time. These athletes not only come from China but from European countries.
“If we want to stay competitive against our counterparts, we have to follow the same trend and the prerequisite is more financial backing.”