Fanling Lutheran Secondary School (FLSS) and Heep Yunn School (HYS) have dethroned the title holders to become the junior champions of the city’s handball.
FLSS trounced Ying Wa College (YWC) 17-8 in the boys’ final of the 2017 All Hong Kong Schools Jing Ying Handball Tournament, while HYS edged out Shek Lei Catholic Secondary School (SLC) 9-8 in the girls’ category.
Both games were held at Shek Kip Mei Park Sports Centre on Sunday.
Wong Chun-ho, 17, from FLSS, was named the tournament’s most valuable player (MVP).
FLSS got off to a good start and soon led 3-0, thanks to powerful shots by Chun-ho and Yeung Lok-mong, also 17. YWC had no answer to their rivals’ attacking play and trailed 2-7 at half-time.
YWC launched several speedy attacks in the second half, but their defence proved to be a problem. They continued to leak goals, with Chun-ho making four more shots and leading their team to victory, sparking scenes of celebration in the stands.
FLSS coach Kong Chi-wai said their game plan was to surprise their opponents. “We knew that Ying Wa College would target our attacker Chun-ho, so I asked everyone to take up the scoring task. As our team could shoot from different positions, the opponents found it hard to withstand our attacks,” Kong said.
Kong praised Lok-mong for his efforts. “Lok-mong started playing the sport last year and he has really improved. He created many shooting opportunities for our players, so he made a significant contribution to out victory.”
Lok-mong said he read the game very well and realised his assists would be very important. “My main responsibility in the final was to pass the ball to attackers as fast as possible,” he said.
Chun-ho said the team worked well together. “We had a good start and our early goals in the first half helped boost our confidence. All the team members were able to score. Our defence was tight, and with YWC’s main attacker Alan Kan Yik-fai under pressure, the opponents had difficulty scoring. Team effort was the key to our victory,” he said.
It was neck and neck in the girls’ final, as both HYS and SLC defended really well. HYS were leading 5-4 at half-time.
The second half saw HYS’ Lau Fong-ying score three goals, helping her team win the final 9-8. The 16-year-old won the MVP award.
Fong-ying is also a key member of her school’s basketball team. She said some skills from that sport can be used in handball. “For example, we change our positions to create scoring opportunities. This basketball-like tactic provided us with more space to shoot,” she said. “We could also use our speed to dribble past defenders and shoot. The result means that our hard work has paid off.” She added that they prepared for the final by watching a lot of videos, so they were familiar with SLC’s attacking and defensive tactics.
Fong-ying said her team’s physical strength also played a crucial part. “As our team members are taller and well-built, we can guard against our opponents more easily.”