Hong Kong, China team cyclist Leung Ka-yu has fought hard to realize his dream of success at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. He tells Oasis Hu it’s his dedication, resolve and hard work that have earned him the silver medal and pride of the city.
Hong Kong cyclist Leung Ka-yu (left) wins a silver medal in the men’s omnium event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Sept 28. Japan’s Kazushige Kuboki (center) takes the gold and Ahmed Almansoori from the United Arab Emirates the bronze. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
It was an overwhelmingly emotional scene, in stark contrast to 2018, as cyclist Leung Ka-yu of the Hong Kong, China team found himself besieged by journalists after clinching the silver medal in the men’s omnium event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sept 28.
The atmosphere was vastly different at the Jakarta Asian Games 5 years earlier when Leung and three teammates also won the silver in the men’s team pursuit competition. While his teammates basked in a media scrum following that achievement, few microphones were thrust at Leung, who stood apart and left the track alone.
In a one-on-one interview with China Daily earlier this month, Leung, 27, says he has trained with the special administrative region’s cycling team for about 15 years. Before this year’s Hangzhou Games, his best performance in major international individual competitions had been finishing sixth in the omnium event in the Hong Kong leg of the 2019-20 UCI Track Cycling World Cup. The omnium is the latest event in men’s and women’s track cycling, having been brought in before London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics.
After high school, cyclist Leung Ka-yu decided against going to university, and dedicated all his time to training at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Sha Tin, which was established in 2004 to nurture and identify sport talent
The star-studded Hong Kong, China cycling team is accustomed to vying for gold and silver medals on the world stage, and Leung’s performance may not have been seen as particularly outstanding.
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For many years, Leung stood on the sidelines, exhorting his team to make it, and watching his teammates ascend the podium in glory, reveling in flowers, acclaim and adulation.
Leung was over the moon as the team was on a roll, but also hoped his turn would soon arrive. In 2018, he had set his goal in motion — clinching an individual medal at the 19th Asian Games. He did it after a 5-year wait. Swarmed by a deluge of floral tributes, requests for interviews and newspaper headlines about his triumph, Leung eventually found himself the protagonist in the limelight.
In the men’s road race at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Oct 5, Hong Kong cyclists Leung Ka-yu (second from left) and Ko Siu-wai (left) finish 15th and 16th. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Seize the moment
Leung had had a penchant for cycling since the age of three after taking the cue from his father, who had a strong passion for the sport. His family also saw cycling as a chance for him to improve his physique, as Leung had been struggling with anorexia.
“I haven’t been a talented cyclist from young,” Leung humbly admits. “While my cousin could master the art of cycling within two weeks, it took me months to learn to ride without having a physical bike on wheels.”
But, with his family’s encouragement and support, he never gave up. Every night, he was required to “pedal”, which made him rather “irritated” at first. But, Leung gradually cultivated a genuine love for the sport.
I haven’t been a talented cyclist from young ... While my cousin could master the art of cycling within two weeks, it took me months to learn to ride without having a physical bike on wheels.
Leung Ka-yu, Hong Kong cyclist
From the age of six, he would join his young cousins on cycling adventures. They would ride along the cycling track from Tai Wai to Tai Po in the New Territories, and pause at the Tai Po waterfront park and have dessert before heading home. “All these have fostered a love of cycling that has lasted for years,” says Leung.
Besides cycling, Leung did not have any special liking for other hobbies, or try to excel in any particular sport. At the age of 12, the budding star began intense training in cycling, sowing the seeds for his professional ambitions.
He faced the challenge of training alongside 15- and 16-year-old classmates who had been honing their skills for years.
Leung had to put in extra work to catch up, forcing himself to train six days a week, with a day off on Sundays. This rigorous schedule continued throughout his secondary school years.
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After high school, Leung decided against going to university, and dedicated all his time to training at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Sha Tin, which was established in 2004 to nurture and identify sport talent.
Since then, Leung’s life has revolved around a repetitive cycle of training, eating and sleeping. “Training for any sport is, undoubtedly challenging. However, cycling could be one of the most monotonous and repetitive disciplines,” he says.
Due to the dearth of cycling resources and facilities in the SAR, Leung often headed north to the Chinese mainland for training. He would go to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, for track cycling training and to Kunming, Yunnan province, to practice road cycling. This meant he spent a long time away from his home, separated from his family. “I’m accustomed to solitude that comes with living alone.”
In addition to his rigorous training schedule, Leung took part in competitions around the world regularly to gain experience and improve his standing in the sport. The Hong Kong cycling team is renowned for its high level of performance, with many of Leung’s teammates widely recognized for their remarkable achievements.
By comparison, Leung’s performances have been less impressive. He captured medals at various competitions, gaining sufficient confidence for him to set his sights on the individual cycling event at this year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou.
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This Instagram post on May 31 shows Leung Ka-yu visiting an old neighborhood in Hong Kong. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Full concentration
A major obstacle loomed with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. For almost two years, he missed out on key international events due to Hong Kong’s stringent anti-pandemic regulations. Initially, Leung saw this as a potential opportunity. He believed it would give him ample time to train extensively, free from the distractions of constant travel and competitions that had hindered his focus on upgrading his skills.
But, as time passed, he was left kicking his heels as rival riders from regions with more relaxed pandemic regulations continued to compete at international events, and made significant progress in their performance and skill levels.
As the pandemic raged on, the only thing Leung could do was to step up his training, embarking on more rigorous training sessions to build up his “explosive power”. To get a deeper understanding of his rivals’ styles and tactics, he studied videos of their competitions extensively, analyzing their strategies and patterns
The progress by Japan’s athletes, in particular, stood out, notes Leung. Before COVID-19, athletes from various Asian countries and regions had the chance to fight for medals, but following the pandemic, Japanese cyclists emerged as a dominant force, enjoying a stranglehold in numerous events.
As the pandemic raged on, the only thing Leung could do was to step up his training, embarking on more rigorous training sessions to build up his “explosive power”. To get a deeper understanding of his rivals’ styles and tactics, he studied videos of their competitions extensively, analyzing their strategies and patterns. He sought to emulate their rhythm and incorporate their successful techniques into his own.
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Throughout the pandemic, Leung refrained from using public transportation and cycled around the city. “This would not only help my training, but also enable me to avoid densely populated areas to minimize the risk of getting infected,” recalls Leung.
In 2022, due to an unexpected event that Leung declined to discuss, he had to stop training for three months and was forced to contemplate retirement. “It’s not convenient for me to tell you why, but my physical and psychological condition was really bad at that time.”
However, he persevered. “I had planned for so many years to take part in the Asian Games. I just couldn’t abandon it.”
Leung returned to training, passionately dedicating himself to each and every practice session as he saw the 19th Asian Games as his final contest in life.
The omnium events, comprising the scratch race, tempo race, elimination race, and points race, were to be completed on the same day, presenting a comprehensive test of an athlete’s prowess.
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Leung Ka-yu of China's Hong Kong competes during the men's omnium of cycling track at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Sept 28, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
On the day of the competition on Sept 28 — after the completion of the first three events, the scratch, tempo and elimination rounds — Leung was in third place, raising his hopes of a medal.
Leung, however, remained nervous, stemming from a bad experience at the 2023 Asian Track Cycling Championships in Nilai, Malaysia, in June when he was also third in the rankings after the first three omnium events before slipping to sixth place after a poor display in the scoring match, and missing out on a medal.
Ultimately, Leung’s dedication and resolve earned him the silver medal, finishing just behind Japan’s champion rider. His refusal to give up was acknowledged immediately by the strains of hit single Glorious Years by Hong Kong band Beyond at the competition venue
“Each time I face a stronger player in a major event, I tend to get nervous. This time, I really didn’t want the same thing to happen again.”
In the points match in Hangzhou, Leung’s rivals seized every opportunity to score, and at one stage he had dropped momentarily to fifth place, which added to the pressure. Leung’s resolve, however, paid off.
“I told myself I must catch up at all costs. With my perseverance, the prospects of victory remained. If I had slackened, all my five years of training would have gone to waste. I kept telling myself not to surrender, and must fight to the very end.”
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Ultimately, Leung’s dedication and resolve earned him the silver medal, finishing just behind Japan’s champion rider. His refusal to give up was acknowledged immediately by the strains of hit single Glorious Years by Hong Kong band Beyond at the competition venue.
Fully immersed in the music, Leung hopped onto his bicycle for celebratory laps around the Hangzhou velodrome, waving elatedly to the cheering audience.
Leung’s journey from obscurity to glory is now complete — he has made himself the central character in the sport.
“I’ve persisted for so long for this moment.”
Contact the writer at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com
