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Focus and grit have earned teen swimmer Fong Lik-sun the South China Morning Post Student Sportsperson of the Year Award.
The 17-year-old Form Six student from St. Joseph's College has a string of impressive achievements to his name.
Last year, he was ranked eighth in the Second East Asian Games in South Korea, and 14th in the Seventh Pac pacific Championship in Japan.
At the Shanghai All China Games in October, Lik-sun was Hong Kong's top swimmer. He was 13th in the 400-metre individual medley, with a time of 4.35.05.
He set SAR records at the World Cup Swimming Championship (Hong Kong) in January last year, and at the 11th Asian Pacific Swimming Championship in August in Taiwan.
He also received the 1996-97 Coca-Cola Junior Sports Stars Award.
Lik-sun said his ambition was to be among the top five swimmers in Asia and the top 50 in the world.
This may seem a tall order, but he had already reached 150th in the world, he said.
Lik-sun's father taught him to swim when he was a baby and since then he has spent much of his time in the water. At the age of nine, he was already a trained swimmer and had started taking part in competitions.
He was selected for the Hong Kong team aged 13.
Success has its price, however, and although he has travelled the world and seem much, Lik-sun sometimes hankers after the normal life of a teenager.
Still, he is pleased with his achievements and success.
He said he was more confident and his rigorous training had taught him perseverance.
Judges Wong Woon-cheung, principal inspector (Physical Education) at the Education Department, and the director (Sports Development) of Hong Kong Sports Development Board, Ip Hay-wood, said they were impressed with Lik-sun's determination and focus.
"He was chosen for his remarkable achievements, his awareness and his initiative in his sport," Mr Wong said.
Ms Ip said the teenager had remained committed to his sport, achieving brilliant results in international competitions, even while he was studying for his HKCEE.
Lik-sun also coaches juniors in his school swimming team.
He will receive a $20,000 Citibank scholarship, two British Airways return tickets to Manila and a $10,000 gift voucher from LOTTO.
Runner-up Tong Ka-po, 16, the Form
Five tennis queen from the Jockey Club Ti-I College, will receive a $5,000
Citibank Scholarship.