2026-10-05
In recent years, Hong Kong athletes have continued to achieve outstanding results on both local and international stages, further elevating public interest and participation in sports. To promote the development of youth athletics in Hong Kong, Watsons Athletic Club (WAC), established by AS Watson Group, successfully staged its flagship Annual Challenge, over two consecutive weekends on September 26 and 27, and October 3 and 4, at Wan Chai Sports Ground, where two new Hong Kong youth records were set. Sanctioned by the Hong Kong China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA), the event attracted over 6,300 participants and recorded full enrolment for the seventh consecutive year. With participants spanning a wide range of ages - the youngest being just five years old, the event clearly demonstrated the broad appeal of athletics across generations and the growing momentum of Hong Kong’s sporting culture.
Signature Events Encourage Cross-Generational Participation
The Annual Challenge featured both males’ and females’ divisions, divided into six age categories. The programme comprised 13 track events, 6 field events and 2 relay events, offering a diverse competitive platform for athletes of different ages and performance levels. In celebration of AS Watson Group’s 185th Anniversary, “AS Watson Group 185th Anniversary 185m Open Challenge” was introduced for the first time, encouraging public to take part in athletics, cultivate an active lifestyle and strengthen community connections. The event also featured Kids Athletics and a 100m Family Relay, promoting children's physical and mental well-being while fostering parent-child interaction and family bonding. A series of interactive booths were also set up on-site, where renowned brands and partner organisations promoted accurate health information and healthy lifestyle practices through engaging games, further enhancing the event’s community participation and educational value.
Ms. Rebecca Chiu Wing Yin, Community Relations Manager of AS Watson, said, “Watsons Athletic Club has long been committed to encouraging young people to participate in athletics and nurturing the next generation of local athletic talent. Beyond training programmes, we strive to provide a high-calibre competitive platform where young athletes can gain valuable race experience and realise their potential. The Annual Challenge received an overwhelming response, with enrolment filling up quickly. The inaugural 185m Open Challenge was also warmly supported, attracting participants across generations, with the eldest participant aged 67. This fully reflects the growing support and enthusiasm for athletics across the community. We are very encouraged to see the public move beyond watching and appreciating sports events, to actively taking part in sport themselves, working together to promote a healthy and vibrant community culture.”
New Youth Records Highlight Emerging Talents
WAC has long been committed to identifying and nurturing local athletics talent, providing professional training and competition platforms for athletes across different age groups, while contributing to the continued development of athletics in Hong Kong. The Club currently has more than 2,100 members, including nearly 100 athletes and coaches who are members of Team Hong Kong. At the recent Nagoya Asian Games, nearly half of the 37 track and field athletes representing Hong Kong came from WAC. They included Chan Chun Ho, who broke the Hong Kong records in both the men’s 400m and 400m hurdles, as well as Chin Man Kit and Lin Ming Fu, who finished fifth and eighth in the men’s half-marathon race walk and men’s long jump respectively. Their outstanding performances fully demonstrated the exceptional calibre and competitive excellence of WAC athletes on the Asian stage.
This year's Annual Challenge also saw a number of promising young athletes delivering impressive performances and demonstrating outstanding potential, including Jasper Koo Cheuk Fung, Wang Nok Wang and Walter Yip Tin Ching. Two emerging talents also set new Hong Kong youth records - Cheung Cheuk He clocked 52.57 seconds in the U18 men’s 400m hurdles, while Xie Jia Hui also broke the Hong Kong U18 women’s shot-put record with an outstanding throw of 14.52 metres. These remarkable achievements by the new generation of athletes not only underscore the strength and potential of Hong Kong’s young athletics talents but also inject fresh and sustained momentum into the long-term development of athletics in the city.
