Hong Kong kiteboarding prodigy Alex Leung Po-chak dreams of 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games – and Paris Olympics
- The 22-year-old Leung is dominating the Formula Kite field at Abu Dhabi Asian Sailing Championships with a clean sweep of victories so far
- ‘I hope there will be sponsorships in future so I can prepare well,’ says Exeter University student, who is paying for UAE trip out of his own pocket
Hong Kong’s Asian Games windsurfers have been dominating at the Abu Dhabi Asian Sailing Championships, and kiteboarder Alex Leung Po-chak is no different, standing atop the Formula Kite standings after a clean sweep so far.
What makes his feat even more remarkable, though, is that 22-year-old Leung paid for everything out of his own pocket for his trip to the United Arab Emirates.
There are 22 races in the Formula Kite class scheduled over the six days of competition, with the event running from February 27 to March 6.
Five races were completed over the first two days. Leung – a third-year student at the University of Exeter in the UK – left his two competitors from Taiwan, one from the UAE, and one from Indonesia trailing in his wake as he won them all.
“I came here without any sponsors,” Leung told the Post. “The whole cost of the Asian Championships trip, including air tickets, hotels, meals, transportation, and even the equipment for the competition, was paid by myself, and I don’t have a coach with me either.”