Sports Hero

Page 5

Judo
Yu Kin-ting

Coach and member of Hong Kong National Squad Committee and Athlete
Selection Committee of The Judo Association of Hong Kong, China

Needless to say, many are familiar with judo, one of the most loved competitive martial arts among students. Yu Kin-ting, now a judo coach, has practised the sport for over two decades. In Primary 6, he first experienced judo through a training course offered by the school, in which his younger brother and classmates actively participated. Seeing that all people had great fun, he also wanted to get a taste of the sport, and so started training together with them. It was the start of his life as a judo player.

From Seeking Fun to Pursuing Ambition

In those early days, Yu just wanted to do exercise for fun with his younger brother and classmates. His interest in judo grew stronger following his notable successes in judo competitions. Looking back on the journey, he thought it was hardly plain sailing. Instead of being frustrated by setbacks and failures, he strove for excellence, and learnt how to find joy in sorrow. To secure victory, he made tremendous efforts to study in detail his opponents’ moves and weaknesses. He frankly said that thanks to those years of judo training, he learnt tremendously from the sport, which helped him grow into a more competent and mature man. He thought that without judo, he would not have made a success, no matter how small.

Pursuing Personal Growth through Sports

Judo is not only a competitive sport but also a means of pursuing personal growth. Attaching importance to the philosophy of “countering toughness with gentleness” and “pursuing mutual greatness”, the sport helps participants build physical strength and strengthen mental resilience in such manner that Yu learnt how to address challenges, keep a stoic and positive mindset, as well as distinguish right from wrong. He thought that, for judo, personal growth was far more important than results, given its ultimate goal of helping one grow into a better man.

In 2009, Yu represented Hong Kong to compete in the East Asian Games and brought home the city’s first gold medal in judo. What a surprise success for a rookie player like him! Looking back, he found those days were, even today, still filled with pride and excitement. Such a debut victory not only motivated him to keep striving for excellence, but also convinced him that the motto “no pain, no gain” was true at all times.

Challenges of a Judo Coach

Today Yu finishes his days as an athlete and serves as a physical education teacher in a primary school. In addition to nurturing younger generation, he is tasked with organising various sports activities and coordinating training programmes of schools, judo associations and the Hong Kong, China Judo Squad. He admitted that as a coach, he faced the biggest challenge of helping athletes achieve their best in competitions. He believed that judo was not just about competing skills and physical strength but also, in particular, requiring participants to be mentally well-prepared. Given the varying personal attributes of athletes, more targeted approaches of coaching must be adopted to suit their individual needs. Only with mutual trust and respect can coaches and athletes make the most of themselves.

Promising Days Ahead for Judo in Hong Kong

Nowadays, an increasing number of schools organise judo programmes, given the stronger interest in this challenging sport among young people. Yu pointed out that judo was a sport for all ages. Through judo, children could learn discipline and build resilience, while adults could relieve their everyday stress.

Looking ahead, Yu was highly confident that judo in Hong Kong would enjoy good prospects. He also looked forward to seeing more local judokas rising to prominence on the international judo stage. With hard work, the Hong Kong, China Judo Squad will definitely scale new height in the forthcoming Asian Games and Olympic Games. Lastly, he wished to encourage judo players by sharing his own motto “Be prepared and seize the chance”. His persistence and great efforts eventually bore fruits, and it is worth learning from his success story.