Michael Shum

The Hong Kong China Swimming Association was prioritizing the association's system over athletes' interest, said singer and former Hong Kong swimmer Alex Fong Lik-sun, after a talented nine-year-old was denied a chance to join a local championship due to the low status of his swimming club.

The nine-year-old boy, who was able to obtain outstanding results, belongs to the Hong Kong Swimming Academy co-founded by Fong, and as the club is only a "competition member club" under the association, bottom of the three-tiered member system, below "observer clubs" or "full members," the boy was not allowed to join the local year-end championship.

The swimming association earlier issued a statement saying that allowing all "competition member clubs" to join the association's championships will negatively impact the point system to evaluate its affiliated clubs.

But Fong slammed the association for "only focusing on safeguarding its system, disregarding the interests of athletes and being indifferent towards young swimmers with potential training in its affiliated swimming clubs."

Fong said he has never requested the association to "upgrade" his swimming club from "competition member" to a "observer club," and he wrote to the association in January to state his intention to promote the sport and create competition opportunities for young swimmers.

"I think all swimmers who meet the standard should be given the right to join the championship, not to mention [the nine-year-old] swam the standard time in a competition organized by the association," Fong said.

He also suggested the championship points obtained by swimmers under "competition member clubs" would not be counted toward the association's point system to avoid affecting the "resource allocation" between affiliated clubs.

But his effort was in vain despite even getting in touch with Ronnie Wong Man-chiu, president of the association, as no one contacted him after Sing Tao Daily - The Standard's sister paper - exclusively reported the incident on June 29.

"Every year is important to the development of young swimmers, and swimmers can not afford to miss the year-end championship after missing the one in the beginning of the year," Fong said.

Fellow singer Maria Cordero also threw her weight behind Fong, saying that her younger brother, son and grandsons are also members of the Hong Kong swimming team.

"Why is the system not choosing those who swim the fastest to take part in the competition? Why would swimmers need to join big clubs in order to join competitions? How is that fair?" Cordero questioned.

Alex Fong wrote to the Hong Kong China Swimming Association in January to state his intention to create competition opportunities for young swimmers.

Singer Alex Fong slams swimming association for 'unfair system'