Lingnan University Admits a Record Number of Seven Elite Athletes for the New Academic Year Through the Student‑Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme

Lingnan University has always actively supported the holistic development of local athletes. This year, the University has admitted seven elite athletes, a record intake, through the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme (SALSA Scheme). They include four cyclists, Ma Yik-sin, Ma Yik-fei, Kwok Chun-yan, and Siu Ka-chun; triathlete Lam Lok-shi; tenpin bowler Amen Yuen Cheuk-hin; and high jumper Hui Chi-man. All seven will enrol in undergraduate programmes for the 2026/27 academic year: five of them will pursue the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management programme, while Lam will study Psychology, and Hui will study Philosophy.

Five of the seven elite student-athletes enrolled for the 2026/27 academic year. Front row from left: Siu Ka-chun, Hui Chi-man, Ma Yik-sin; back row from left: Ma Yik-fei, Kwok Chun-yan. Photo source: Lingnan University

Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing, welcomed the seven elite athletes to the Lingnan family, emphasising that the University will provide comprehensive learning support to help them cultivate diverse interests outside sport, so that they can balance their development in both academic and athletic areas.

He said, “Lingnan University is determined to attract outstanding talents from diverse backgrounds in order to foster a mutually enriching learning environment, and elite athletes are vital partners in driving knowledge innovation. The firsthand experience they gain from advanced training and international competitions provides a valuable empirical foundation for our teaching and research. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, Lingnan aims to integrate athletes’ practical experiences in training, competition, and psychological adjustment with academic research, addressing industry needs and sparking innovation in sports coaching, sports psychology, and mega-event management, ultimately contributing to the Hong Kong SAR’s development as a centre for major sports events.”

Star tennis athlete Cody Wong (left), who enrolled at Lingnan University in the 2023/24 academic year, partners with a Thai teammate to win the doubles title at the W35 Dallas, TX tournament of the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour in mid-July. Photo source: Lingnan University

Prof Chan also noted that Lingnan University’s elite athletes have achieved consistently outstanding results in major international competitions. Two cyclists who enrolled at Lingnan last year, Phoebe Tung and Yeung Cho-yiu, represented Team Hong Kong, China at the Korea Track Cup 2026 in Yangyang, winning silver and bronze medals respectively in the Women’s Elite Keirin. Meanwhile, star tennis athlete Cody Wong, who enrolled at Lingnan in the 2023/24 academic year, partnered with a Thai teammate to win the doubles title at the W35 Dallas, TX tournament of the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour in mid-July. Additionally, top table tennis athlete Yuen Wing-ki, who enrolled at Lingnan in the same cohort, won a bronze medal for the Hong Kong SAR in the Women’s Table Tennis Doubles (Class TT5) at the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games.

Profiles of the seven elite student-athletes

Cyclist Ma Yik-sin: Inspired by two-time Olympic bronze medallist Lee Wai-sze, Ma Yik-sin, elder brother of the Hong Kong Junior Team twin duo, won the Gold Medal in the Men’s Junior Madison at the 2025 National Track Cycling Championships & National Youth Track Cycling Championships alongside his twin Ma Yik-fei. He will enrol in Year 3 of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management programme.

Cyclist Ma Yik-sin, Photo source: Lingnan University

Cyclist Ma Yik-fei: Younger twin brother Ma Yik-fei was also inspired by Lee Wai-sze, and brought home a silver medal in the Men’s Junior Scratch, a silver medal in the Youth Elimination Race, and a bronze medal in the Men’s Junior Team Pursuit from the 2025 Asian Track Championships in Malaysia. He will enrol in Year 3 of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management programme.

Cyclist Ma Yik-fei, Photo source: Lingnan University

Cyclist Kwok Chun-yan: A road cyclist whose team won the Team Classification Title at the 2025 Yellow River Estuary (Dongying) Road Cycling Race and the Men’s U23 Championship at the 2025 Hong Kong Road Cycling Championships, Kwok will enrol in Year 3 of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management programme.

Cyclist Kwok Chun-yan, Photo source: Lingnan University

Cyclist Siu Ka-chun: Siu won a Bronze Medal in the Men's Junior Keirin (International Division) at the 2023 Hong Kong International Track Cup, and came 8th in the Men’s Junior Group A Time Trial at the 2023 China National U Series Junior Road Championship. He will enrol in Year 3 of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management programme.

Cyclist Siu Ka-chun, Photo source: Lingnan University

Triathlete Lam Lok-shi: Joined the Hong Kong Team for training aged 14, and was named an Outstanding Junior Athlete for the fourth quarter of 2022. He won the Gold Medal in the Men’s U15 category at the 2023 Asia Triathlon Youth Championships, and was the 2nd Runner-up in the Male Elite Junior category at the 2026 Asia Triathlon Junior Cup Putrajaya. He will enrol in Year 1 of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology programme.

Triathlete Lam Lok-shi, Photo source: Lingnan University

Tenpin bowler Amen Yuen Cheuk-hin: Yuen represented the Hong Kong SAR at the 21st and 22nd Asian Junior Tenpin Bowling Championships in 2022 and 2023, where he and his teammates won the Champion and 2nd Runner-up titles in the Boys' Team of four. He was also the 1st Runner-up in the U22 Division at the U22 Hong Kong Storm Cup 2025. He will enrol in Year 3 of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management programme.

Tenpin bowler Amen Yuen Cheuk-hin, Photo source: Lingnan University

High jumper Hui Chi-man: Active in track and field, Hui competed in the 2025 All China Youth (U18) Athletics Championships, coming 14th in the Men’s U18 High Jump. He will enrol in Year 1 of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Philosophy programme.

High jumper Hui Chi-man, Photo source: Lingnan University

Each elite athlete admitted through Lingnan’s SALSA Scheme will receive an allowance of up to HK$400,000 to cover tuition fees, learning and living expenses, accommodation costs, and expenses for the Chinese Mainland or overseas exchanges. They will also benefit from physiotherapy, medical care, and additional insurance coverage to ensure their well-being.

Furthermore, to accommodate the student-athletes’ training and competition schedules, designated staff from the Office of Student Affairs will provide one-stop dedicated support from admission to graduation. This includes priority course registration and flexible learning and examination arrangements, as well as career planning advice to help them explore diverse professional pathways beyond sports.

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service estimates that the number of carers across the territory reaches as high as 1.12 million. Some employed people are forced to juggle the demands of work alongside caring for parents, spouses, or children, taking on the arduous role of “compound carers”. The Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies (APIAS) at Lingnan University conducted in-depth interviews with over 40 multiple carers who care for at least two family members, one of whom has a disability or a chronic illness. The study found that these working compound carers face heavy pressure in balancing professional and family duties. Nearly half of those interviewed keep their caregiving responsibilities hidden at work for fear of being branded “troublesome employees”. Consequently, several had to give up promotions or switch to part-time work due to caregiving demands. Researchers note that current support networks remain fragmented, leaving compound carers to search for, evaluate, and arrange various services entirely on their own — adding substantial friction to an already overwhelming load. The research team recommends introducing dedicated Case Managers who will integrate healthcare, rehabilitation, and social welfare services.

Led by Lingnan and funded by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, the one-year study conducted in-depth interviews between April 2025 and January 2026 with 45 compound carers in the Hong Kong SAR, aged from 25 to over 75. Recruited through social welfare agencies and carer social media platforms, they were full- and part-time workers, full-time homemakers, and retirees, 35 of whom were female. In terms of their caregiving loads, 34 were looking after two family members, nine were caring for three, and two were single-handedly looking after four to five relatives.

The study revealed that many of these 104 care recipients suffered from complex comorbidities, which included chronic health conditions (30), diagnosed dementia (20), and severe mobility impairments or bedridden states resulting from conditions such as stroke (20). Respondents emphasised that their daily responsibilities encompassed coordinating frequent multi-speciality medical consultations, giving medication at fixed times, managing physical transfers, and responding to unpredictable medical emergencies, all of which represent an intensive, sustained care burden. Consequently, many carers reported feeling trapped in a relentless 24-hour on-call cycle, continually forced to make trade-offs between different responsibilities.

The study also showed that approximately 45 per cent of respondents had to balance paid employment with their caregiving duties. Most reported relying on annual leave, time off in lieu, or shift swaps to attend to family medical consultations and sudden emergencies. As leave requests accumulated, carers expressed growing concern that supervisors or colleagues might perceive them as having persistent family issues or lacking commitment to their role, thereby threatening their prospects for promotion and contract renewal. Consequently, nearly half of the employed respondents chose to conceal their carer status at work, with some preferring “to absorb the burden privately rather than risk being viewed as troublesome employees”.

For example, one respondent declined a promotion offer due to concerns over managing both workplace and caregiving responsibilities, explaining, “Because new roles typically offer no annual leave during the initial months, I needed to ensure my family members would have no medical appointments or sudden emergencies during that period.” Another respondent who very much wished to change jobs feared a new post might demand longer hours and limit the ability to respond immediately to family emergencies, forcing this individual to remain in the same position. The research team pointed out that these accounts illustrate how care responsibilities directly impact the career options of certain respondents.

Notably, caregiving responsibilities also take a severe toll on personal psychological well-being, with some carers undergoing psychiatric treatment due to the heavy pressure. One respondent highlighted having to care simultaneously for an 88-year-old amputee father with limited mobility and an 87-year-old mother living with dementia. This unceasing pressure resulted in chronic sleep disruption, physical exhaustion, and deteriorating mental health, ultimately leading to suicidal ideation during moments of profound helplessness and the need for ongoing psychiatric care.

Furthermore, the study underscored that respondents find the existing social support infrastructure highly fragmented. Carers are forced to navigate a complex maze of services across public hospitals, the Social Welfare Department, non-governmental organisations, residential care facilities, and online portals by themselves, investigating application procedures, waiting lists, means-testing requirements, and eligibility criteria in each case. Beyond these structural challenges, respite care capacity remains severely constrained on weekends, public holidays or times of emergency, daycare transport schedules frequently conflict with standard working hours, and rehabilitation transit routes and operational hours are restrictive, creating substantial hurdles for carers seeking support. The research team says that the bureaucratic complexity of the existing support apparatus and scattered information have become part of the overall chronic stress burden for compound carers.

A study conducted by the Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies at Lingnan University finds that working compound carers face the dilemma of balancing professional and family duties. The photo shows Prof Dickson Chan Chak-kwan, Research Professor and Director of APIAS. Photo source: LU

Prof Dickson Chan Chak-kwan, Research Professor and Director of APIAS, said, “The public currently pays relatively little attention to the problems and needs faced by ‘compound carers’ who care for several dependents. These people encounter immense strain regarding time management and role execution, alongside psychological and financial pressure; they often face a heavier burden than carers looking after a single family member, yet existing policies offer meagre targeted assistance. We advocate formally recognising compound carers as core stakeholders within the Hong Kong SAR’s long-term care architecture. Strategic inter-agency coordination alongside dedicated funding streams would tangibly elevate quality of life for these households, while fortifying systemic sustainability against an accelerating demographic ageing curve to address the long-term challenges posed by an ageing population and growing demand for services.”

To operationalise this, the research team proposes establishing a dedicated Carer Case Manager framework, where designated professionals evaluate household needs, communicate with healthcare, rehabilitation, and social care networks, and design integrated post-discharge transition plans and service packages, eliminating the procedural burden on families. They also recommend short-term residential care and home support services beyond standard office hours and on weekends. Finally, they suggest carer-friendly employment standards, specifically introducing a statutory entitlement to seven days’ unpaid carer leave annually as well as corporate incentives for flexible scheduling, hybrid working arrangements, and agile shift swaps. Additionally, the monthly amount of the carer's allowance is only HK$3,300, which accounts for 15 per cent of the median monthly domestic household income and falls short of covering the various additional expenses associated with caregiving. Therefore, increasing the carer's allowance is the most direct and prompt way to assist carers facing financial hardship.

For the full research paper, please visit: https://commons.ln.edu.hk/apias_research/29/