Yuk Wing Leung

Started: He began playing boccia in 2003. (news.gov.hk, 06 Nov 2016) Reason: He thought the sport was suitable for him to play based on his impairment. (thefirst.favournet.net, 12 Jun 2008) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (hk.on.cc, 29 Nov 2023) Milestones: At the 2020 Games in Tokyo he took his career Paralympic medal tally to six. No other Hong Kong, China boccia player has won more than one Paralympic medal in the sport. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) He became the first Hong Kong, China boccia player to win a medal at the Paralympic Games when he claimed gold in the open BC4 individual event at the 2004 Games in Athens. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: He received the 2019 Outstanding Athlete Award from the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled [HKPC&SAPD] in Hong Kong, China. (hksapd.org, 01 Jan 2019) In both 2015 and 2016 he was nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award, but did not win on either occasion. (laureus.com, 18 Apr 2016; scmp.com, 03 Mar 2016) In 2014 and 2016 he was named Sportsman of the Year by the HKPC&SAPD. (hksapd.org, 01 Jan 2019) Additional Info: LONG WAIT After winning two gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens at age 19, he had to wait another 10 years before finishing on top of the podium at another major international event. He finally broke his barren spell with victory in the individual and pairs events at the 2014 World Championships in Beijing, People's Republic of China. "After winning the titles in Athens 2004, I put too much pressure on myself. I could not see any changes even though I trained very hard. I was about to give up, but I did not because I love the game. I love boccia." (news.gov.hk, 06 Nov 2016; paralympic.org, 04 Dec 2014)

Sporting Relatives: His partner Sze Shan Shan served as an assistant coach for the Hong Kong, China boccia team at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (sportsroad.hk, 13 Oct 2018; news.gov.hk, 06 Nov 2016; hkparalympic.org, 25 Jul 2016)