Ice swimmer will keep attending international meets to show ‘Hong Kong is here'
Competitive ice swimmer Mak Chun-kong might not be as fast as he was when he first started seven years ago, but he has vowed to keep showing up at international competitions to show the world 'that Hong Kong is here'.
Mak, who is Hong Kong's only competitive ice swimmer, competed in six events in Molveno at the IISA 6th World Championships, which attracted more than 700 swimmers.
The 38-year-old travelled from his home in the Czech Republic to northern Italy, leaving behind his eight-month-old son because representing Hong Kong was deeply 'sentimental' to him.
'It's important for me that people still see the 'HKG' … I want them to see that Hong Kong is here, and I feel happy when there are swimmers from different countries coming over to me and telling me stories about Hong Kong,' Mak said. Mak Chun-kong said he was disappointed with his time in the 1000m freestyle race in Molveno. Photo: Mak Chun-kong
Mak, who is a part-time Cantonese teacher at the Masaryk University in Brno and a freelance English tutor, competed in the 100-, 250- and 500-metres freestyle as well as the 50m and 100m butterfly, and 200m individual medley in water that was 1 degrees Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit).
'I was a bit disappointed when I got out of the water and looked at the time – I haven't been that slow for years,' he said of the 1,000m freestyle, which he completed in 18 minutes, 31.61 seconds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- South China Morning Post
SCMP Best Bets: King Oberon can reign supreme at Sha Tin
Sam Agars LIGHT YEARS CHARM - R7 (7) Galloper firmly on the rise with plenty of ratings points in hand Jay Rooney LITTLE PARADISE - R10 (8) Looks set to extend his unbeaten record after a pair of smart wins Trackwork Spy AHREN - R10 (10) Track and distance winner only lost out narrowly in this grade last time Phillip Woo AHREN - R10 (10) Smart youngster can go one better after a game second last start at this level HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Shannon (Vincent Wong) KING OBERON - R1 (2) Can win dropping in class here with Hugh Bowman on board Racing Post Online DANCING CLASSICS - R5 (1) Impressive win on his Hong Kong debut and can come on from that effort Tom Wood ETALON OR - R4 (4) Comes up with his best ever draw, he's due a winning turn
RTHK
5 days ago
- RTHK
'Beckham to be awarded knighthood by King Charles'
'Beckham to be awarded knighthood by King Charles' King Charles chats with David Beckham at the Chelsea Flower Show. Photo: AFP David Beckham will be awarded a knighthood by King Charles next week in recognition of his football career and his charity work, reports said on Friday. The former England football captain is set to be named in the King's Birthday Honours List, according to sources. Other sporting figures who have been awarded the title include Beckham's former manager at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson, and British tennis great Andy Murray. The Sun newspaper said he would take the title of "Sir" and his wife, Victoria, a former member of the Spice Girls pop group, will be known as Lady Beckham. Beckham played 115 times for England as well as for a list of high-profile clubs, including United and Real Madrid. He is currently the president and co-owner of the US team Inter Miami and co-owner of Salford City, who play in the fourth tier of English football. The 50-year-old, who has long been in the running for a knighthood, was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003 – a lower award in Britain's honours system. Victoria later received the same award for services to the fashion industry. David Beckham was last month named in Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential leaders in philanthropy. He is an official ambassador for The King's Foundation, supporting its education programmes and "efforts to ensure young people have a greater understanding of nature" and has been a Unicef goodwill ambassador since 2005. (AFP)
RTHK
04-06-2025
- RTHK
Chelsea win race to sign Ipswich striker Delap
Chelsea win race to sign Ipswich striker Delap Delap scored twelve Premier League goals during his spell with Ipswich. Photo: AFP Chelsea beat off competition from Premier League rivals to sign English striker Liam Delap from Ipswich for a reported fee of US$41 million. Delap, 22, scored 12 Premier League goals during his sole season at Portman Road but could not prevent Ipswich making an immediate return to the Championship. Manchester United and Everton were also reportedly willing to meet the buyout clause in the England under-21 international's contract. But Chelsea have won the race for the former Manchester City forward, bolstering their attacking options ahead of the Club World Cup in the United States, starting later this month. "I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach," said Delap, who has signed a six-year contract, in a Chelsea statement. "It's going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies." The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League and will return to the Champions League next season after a two-year absence. And Enzo Maresca's men last week beat Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final to secure a trophy in the Italian manager's first season in charge. In mid-December Chelsea were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool before hitting a rocky patch. They finished the season strongly, securing a top-five spot on the final day of the season but were hamstrung by their lack of a clinical number nine. Senegal international Nicolas Jackson scored just 10 times in 30 Premier League appearances, while Christopher Nkunku looks set to leave the club after an underwhelming two-year spell. Delap, the son of former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, began his career at Manchester City but struggled to break into Pep Guardiola's star-studded first team. After loan spells in the second tier with Stoke, Preston and Hull, he was snapped up by Ipswich after they won promotion to the Premier League a year ago. Delap was one of the few success stories for the Tractor Boys during a difficult season as they were relegated back to the Championship with just 22 points. Chelsea will face Flamengo, LAFC and ES Tunis in the group stages of the Club World Cup, which gets underway on June 14. (AFP)
