LI-NING Hong Kong Open｜Recognition to athletes at opening ceremony of finals with badminton Olympians getting together Hong Kong, China team head coach He Yi Ming retires

LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships closed on Sunday, producing champions in all five events at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Prior to the competitions, Badminton Association of Hong Kong China specially arranged a ‘Salute to Athletes’ section as the opening ceremony of the finals, inviting all 29 badminton Olympians so far to meet the fans and recognizing their performance. At the same time, head coach He Yi Ming also announced his retirement, concluding a fruitful 30-year coaching career with the national team. Although He missed his coaching days over these years, he had no regret of his career and wished the team to make further improvement in future.

As the BAHKC is celebrating its 90th anniversary, all its badminton Olympians from 1988 to 2024 were invited to the Hong Kong Open finals. These athletes included Lee Cheuk Yiu, Lo Sin Yan Happy, Yeung Nga Ting, Yeung Pui Lam, Tang Chun Man, Tse Ying Suet, Ng Ka Long Angus, Cheung Ngan Yi, Hu Yun, Yip Pui Yin, Poon Lok Yan, Chow Hoi Wah, Lee Chun Hei Reginald, Wong Wing Ki Vincent, Ng Wei, Wang Chen, Ling Wan Ting, Koon Wai Chee Louisa, Li Wing Mui, Tam Kai Chuen, Chan Siu Kwong, He Yi Ming, Chan Oi Ni Emmy, Chan Kin Ngai, Wong Wai Lap, Wong Chun Fan, Ng Pak Kum, Chan Chi Choi and Chan Lim Chee. These outstanding athletes all put up form dress at the finals, earning a big round of applause from the spectators who were more familiar with these athletes with sportswear.

Officiating guests at the ceremony were Dr Tong Yun Kai, President, Badminton Association of Hong Kong China, Wang Songmiao, Secretary General, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Kevin Yeung Yun Hung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Timothy Fok, President, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Hon Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, Legislative Council Member andVice-Chairman of the Major Sports Events Committee, Vincent Liu Ming Kwong, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Li Ning, President of Li Ning Group, Brian Hui, World Tour Title Sponsor, Managing Director, Head of Customer Proposition and Marketing, Wealth and Personal Banking, Hong Kong, The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Tong Wai Lun, Chairman, Badminton Association of Hong Kong China and Winnie Yip, Official Community Partner, Head of Charities (Sports, Culture and Community Engagement), The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Head coach He Yi Ming also bid farewell to the team at the 2024 Hong Kong Open. All the players took the opportunity to have photos with He, who paid tribute to the performance of his charges in the annual event. “It’s not only Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet as they reached the semifinals. Other young players also showed impressive performances. I am sure they have the potential of taking up the batons in future, helping the national team scale to a higher level,” said He, who also felt very excited of meeting all these badminton Olympians over different generations.

Other than helping the national team achieve such a sound record over these years, the retiring head coach was also happy to have built up a good relationship with the players. “I must thank the Badminton Association of Hong Kong, China and the Sports Institute for giving me the opportunity of working in a field of my favour. In fact, my relationship with the players was not only as a mentor but more like a friend of each other that can work in good harmony. I also know I have done the right thing on the right track with no regret.”

He said he would still care badminton development in Hong Kong after his retirement and if the players came across any problems, he would be happy to offer help as a friend and hoped the players could continue to work hard to reach another peak. He also wished his successor good luck with the Olympic medal as the target, adding he would like to buy tickets to watch the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Over the years, coach He has produced many quality players, including the boys’ doubles duo Ng Ka Long Angus and Lee Chun Hei Reginald that captured the historic gold medal at the 2012 junior World Championships. Ng said there was a small untold story behind their success. “At that time, I was involving in both the singles and doubles which was a big demand on my physical condition,” Ng said. “In fact, I was once thinking if I should give up the doubles to focus on one event only but knowing there was also a medal hope in the doubles, I chose to stay with both. Whenever I finished training in the singles, coach He would come up to me to provide additional training in the doubles and encouraged me to work hard for the success with the responsibility as a doubles player.”

Ng said he had learned a lot from his coach especially on how to work hard to achieve success and if he became a coach one day, he would also teach his players the same way. Lee said he would miss his coach as they had been working together for so many years, but “All good things must come to an end” and he wished his coach a happy life after retirement.