Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, chef de mission of Hong Kong, China delegation to the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, has encouraged athletes to strive for their dreams and enjoy the fun of ice-and-snow sports.
Opened on Friday evening in the host city Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the week-long event brought together sports delegations from the 34 countries and regions to compete.
Speaking to China Central Television (CCTV) in an interview right before the opening ceremony of the Asian Winter Games kicking off, Fok said all the athletes were excited with the tour.
"Harbin is known as the 'ice city' and I have had the pleasure of visiting Harbin several times myself. This time, coming to Harbin as part of the Hong Kong delegation is very special for me. The Hong Kong delegation consists of 74 athletes, making it our largest team ever. A notable characteristic is that many of our team members are very young, with many participating in such a large-scale event for the first time. They all seem very excited and happy," he said.
He also extended his wishes to all the youngsters who are passionate about ice-and-snow sports.
"Don't give up. Strive for your dreams and keep pushing forward," said Fok.
Scheduled from Feb 7 to 14, this year's edition of the Games is set to be the largest ever in terms of overall participation, with over 1,200 competitors from 34 countries and regions competing in 64 events across 11 winter sports disciplines.
This is the third time the regional games are being held in China, and it marks Harbin's second time as host after the city previously staged the event back in 1996. It is also the first major international ice and snow event held in China since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Hong Kong delegation leader encourages young people to strive for dream at Asian Winter Games
Hong Kong delegation leader encourages young people to strive for dream at Asian Winter Games
