While playing badminton with a close friend recently, watching the shuttlecock trace swift and agile arcs through the air, I couldn't help but think of a friend who has demonstrated extraordinary resilience both on and off the court – Daniel Chan Ho-yuen.
Growing up in a public housing estate in Tsuen Wan, Daniel was a badminton enthusiast who played six days a week during his student days. Having won inter-school championships, he dreamed of representing Hong Kong. However, a severe car accident in 2008 took his left leg.
After undergoing 20 general anesthesias, 100 minor surgeries, and 10 months of hospitalization, the then-20-something young man was confined to a wheelchair. Facing badminton – a sport that demands extreme mobility – Daniel once thought his dream was shattered, but he refused to give up. Introduced to wheelchair badminton by a friend, his passion was reignited. Following five years of grueling training and countless overseas training camps, he clinched a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships and went on to win a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Upon retirement, he was appointed by the Badminton World Federation as the chair of the BWF Para Badminton Athletes' Commission and a member of the BWF Council, becoming the first para-athlete from Hong Kong, China, to hold this prestigious position.
After retiring, Daniel decided to embark on a new track. By actively equipping himself with new skills, he successfully became the first para-athlete in Hong Kong to qualify as a sports mediator.
In our recent conversation, Daniel shared his insights on sports mediation. He noted that with the strong support of the Central Government and the HKSAR Government, sports mediation is gaining increasing recognition, yet the participation of disabled stakeholders remains relatively low. Daniel pointed out that the unique challenges faced by para-athletes, as well as complex classification systems, are often best understood by those within the community itself.
He hopes to promote the involvement of people with disabilities in sports mediation, emphasizing that this can open up new career paths for retired para-athletes who otherwise face limited employment options, allowing them to leverage and extend their professional expertise.
To nurture more professional sports mediation talents like Daniel, the AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre will host the "4th AALCO (Mediation & Sports Mediation) Course" in October 2026, inviting aspiring individuals to join hands in turning a new page for sports and legal technology.
Nick Chan is Director of Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre
