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A jump rope used to pass the time during the pandemic has launched an 11-year-old freestyle jumper into an unexpected journey, helping him emerge as one of Asia's brightest young athletic talents.
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The jumper, Clayton Luke Hungzen, has recently made his mark after clinching the Overall Champion at the Asian Jump Rope Championships in the 9-11 age group.
Jointly hosted by the Asian Jump Rope Union and the Chinese Jump Rope Association, the competition took place in Shaoxing and drew 1,960 competitors from nine countries and regions.
Notably, Hong Kong brought home 84 medals, including 19 golds across three age groups, with Luke being among the standouts, securing both individual and team glory.
In addition to his individual title, he helped his group clinch the team overall championship and a silver medal in the Double Dutch pair freestyle event.
Remarkably, this is only part of his growing collection, which has already surpassed 90 medals in just four years.
Luke has recently received the "Potential Student Award" under Hong Kong's "S.A.M. Project."
Despite his impressive achievements, the young athlete revealed in an interview that he prioritizes shared glory with his teammates over individual medals, noting that a team victory means the most to him.
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“I’m just enjoying every taps”
Regarding his love for freestyle skipping, he described the spin of the rope as simply bringing him joy, saying he never gets tired nor thinks of giving up.
"Every move is different, which makes it fun and challenging," he explained, where every tap of his feet to the rhythm has shaped his resilience with every failure.
He credited the support of his parents for keeping him grounded and motivated, who always told him to enjoy the process rather than the results.
Sharing his passion, his eight-year-old sister is also learning freestyle jump rope. Luke praised her outstanding performance, admitting he might not have achieved her level of skill at that age.
Outside of jumping rope, he also has a strong interest in basketball and hopes to pursue both sports in the future.
A hobby during COVID to Asian stage
The remarkable journey began as a simple hobby during the pandemic when his mother suggested jumping rope as a way to stay active.
What started as a way to kill time soon evolved into professional training after he taught himself crossover moves within a few days.
He eventually joined his school's jump rope club, where he was spotted by coach Chow Wing-lok. Chow, a former world champion who made history in 2016 as Hong Kong's first freestyle jump rope champion, subsequently recruited him to the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Club.
Despite a rigorous four-day training schedule after school, Luke manages his time well, recently ranking eighth in his class and 20th in his grade during exams. He attends A.D. & F.D. of Pok Oi Hospital Mrs. Cheng Yam On Millennium School.
The father highlighted the school's focus on offering room for students to find their own shine in different fields as the key reason for choosing the school for his son.
He also expressed gratitude to the teachers for helping Luke balance his academic performance with his sports development, as well as to the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Club for offering tailored training programs.
Next stop: World Championships
Looking ahead, despite the upcoming Internal Assessment for Secondary School Places Allocation, Luke confirmed he will not be leaving his jump rope behind.
"My next goal is next year's World Championships," Luke said, voicing confidence in his ability.
However, he emphasized that winning is not the most important aspect, noting that simply training and competing alongside his teammates brings him immense satisfaction.
