Talent, commitment not only factors in Coleman Wong’s success: tennis chief
The structure for development is key, says HKCTA president Michael Cheng, who also details thinking behind hosting Ultimate Tennis Showdown
The man overseeing the development of tennis in Hong Kong has stressed that a clear, sustainable structure is crucial to consistently producing top players such as Coleman Wong Chak-lam.
Despite the defeat, which came after a gruelling battle that lasted more than three hours, Wong became the first player from the city to reach that stage of a grand slam event, and Hong Kong’s tennis chief praised Wong’s commitment.
“Talent alone doesn’t usually get you too far in tennis,” Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), said. “Coleman had long been very keen and has always loved playing tennis.
“The availability of resources since we returned to becoming a Tier A sport at the Hong Kong Sports Institute [in 2013] also helped. The equipment, technical and financial support, and the wild cards [to enter tournaments]. And he had left Hong Kong to pursue training in Spain for a long time.