Talent Development Scholarship

I like trying out new things and I like playing sports.  I used to be a member of the basketball team in my secondary school.  It was in a PE lesson that I was first introduced to kin-ball.  That was an eye-opening experience as kin-ball is a team sport with its unique mechanics.  I have been in love with it ever since.  Kin-ball is the ultimate spectator sport because of the huge size of the ball.  However, it is not popular in Hong Kong and only a handful of local schools have their own kin-ball teams.  With little room for the sport to develop, I thought of giving up the idea of becoming a kin-ball player.  Fortunately, my basketball coach was also coaching kin-ball at the time, and the school wanted to find out if kin-ball had the potential to become a major sport.  So our school basketball team took part in a kin-ball novice competition and the rest is history.

I have been playing kin-ball for a year now and have never missed a single training session no matter where or when it is held.  I enjoy collaborating with my teammates and relish the victory of a well-played game.  I have competed in many local competitions.  Win or lose, each match reveals my weaknesses and motivates me to overcome them.  I have greatly improved my skills and become a stronger player over time.

In 2019, I was drafted by the Hong Kong U19 team to play in a kin-ball competition in Singapore.  I was thrilled because it was an honour representing Hong Kong, not to mention my first-ever appearance in an overseas competition.  As team leader, I was nervous and feeling the pressure before the matches.  I made a string of careless mistakes at the beginning, costing the team precious points.  But then I calmed myself down, hit my stride and led the team to the top of the podium.  It was not all about the trophy, though.  Competitions present valuable opportunities for me to test my skills against other players, as well as teaching me how to control emotions and handle stress.

I am privileged to be awarded the Talent Development Scholarship.  It is a recognition of the efforts I put into the sport, and it prompts me to keep working hard.  Playing kin-ball is one of the turning points of my life, and being picked for the Hong Kong team was beyond my wildest dream.  What I want to say is that everyone has talent.  You will find yours someday, so do not give up easily as you may be the next shining star.