Ryan Choi, Vincent Ho among Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Persons

Winners of Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Persons Selection 2026 were announced on Tuesday, with top fencer Ryan Choi Chun-yin and champion jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu among the recipients.

Under the theme, "Lead with Insight, Impact to Light,” the awards recognized young talent for making positive contributions across sport, public and social service, education and professional fields.

Make peace amid failures: Choi

Speaking at the ceremony, Choi, the former world No. 1 in men's foil, said he had once considered quitting the sport after a disappointing Tokyo 2020 Olympics run and missing qualification for the Paris 2024
Olympics by just one place.

"I once felt all my efforts were meaningless," he said, crediting his coach's patience and his teammates' support with helping him understand that athletes cannot succeed alone.

He said he came to terms with his own limits, learning to accept setbacks and ask for support.

As the third Hong Kong foil fencer to win the award after Cheung Siu-lun and Edgar Cheung Ka-long, he said the honour reflected recognition, as well as motivation for the whole fencing team. He realized that athletes' achievements could bring joy to the public and translate into positive social energy — a contribution in itself.

He further called on the government to invest more in sports, including hiring on-site physiotherapists and coaches to help athletes perform better.

Strong backing from parents: Ho

Ho, who won the 2023 International Jockeys' Championship, attributed his success to parents who defied social convention to support him. He recalled applying to become an apprentice jockey in Form 4 with his father's encouragement, going against the common expectation that children should attend university.

Citing the discipline required of a jockey, he said the joy he found in the saddle kept him going through lonely stretches. 

Ho also spoke of his darkest period as an athlete, saying the Jockey Club, medical teams and others helped him push through — with legendary horse Golden Sixty playing a key role in his recovery.

His message to encourage young Hongkongers is simple— persevere and keep moving forward towards the goal.

Bouncing back from rock bottom: Chan 

Also among the honourees is Matthew Chan Hau-man, who turned his life around after a criminal conviction at 18 into a physiotherapist.

He recalled being placed on a community service order for loitering, which left him with a criminal record. The "criminal record" box on job and school applications, he said, was like a chain he could never shake off. 
Yet, a social worker told him his record could be spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance — a moment he said jolted him awake and made him realize he "had not lost everything."

Despite failing his A-levels, he fought for a chance to repeat his studies, becoming class monitor in Form 7 and tutoring classmates to push himself.

He raised his grades by 15 levels across five subjects, studied sports science at university, then spent seven years earning physiotherapy degrees part-time and later specialized in manual therapy. 

He now runs a sports physiotherapy and hydrotherapy center and takes part in volunteer clinics, hoping to pass on his experience to live the idea of “life influencing life.”

He urged young people who feel lost not to fear mistakes or setbacks, saying the key was to know themselves and turn past hardship into their strongest asset.

Apart from the sports honorees, there were also talents in public and social services, including Phoebe Lam Pui-ying, a clinical assistant professor in pediatric dentistry at the University of Hong Kong; Lam Wing-kit, a hematology specialist; and Wilson Lung, executive chairman of the Hong Kong Youth Exchange Promotion United Association. 

In education, the recipients were Yeung Yui-sheung, founder and head coach of the World Running Club, and Tso Chi-yan, chair professor of Energy and Sustainability at City University of Hong Kong.

As for professional work, the honourees were Chung King-man, a registered music therapist, and Matthew Chan, a physiotherapist. 

In a statement, the Hong Kong Jockey Club congratulated Vincent Ho on being named one of Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Persons, citing his achievements in horse racing, his drive for world-class excellence and his contribution to society. Andrew Harding, the club's executive director of racing, said the award was "particularly meaningful" as Ho is the first racing figure to receive it across the selection's 54 editions. 

Harding said Ho's "resilience and never-give-up attitude" were best exemplified by his partnership with former champion Golden Sixty and his return to the saddle stronger from serious injuries.

Noting that Ho's passion for horse sports began with equestrianism and continued through the Jockey Club's Apprentice Jockeys' School, Harding said his professionalism, discipline and integrity had made him "a role model for young people and an outstanding ambassador for Hong Kong racing."

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓