Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Lee Ki is one of Hong Kong’s most accomplished basketball players. Today, he is also a sports coach at ELCHK Lutheran Secondary School.
The 38-year-old said he is passionate about helping students believe in themselves through sports.
“I hope that students who lack motivation … can learn to face failure, identify their weaknesses and focus on a goal,” said Lee, who is also a physical education (PE) teacher at the school.
In 2015, Lee joined Hong Kong Eastern, a professional men’s basketball club also known as the Eastern Long Lions. As captain, he led the team to its first Asean Basketball League championship in 2017.
But Lee’s rise to success might never have happened without his secondary school’s PE teacher, who inspired him to pursue his basketball dreams.
Ever since becoming a full-time teacher in 2021, he has hoped to do the same for the next generation.
Lessons learned
Form Five student Ray Lin Bai-rui started playing basketball in primary school. He said the sport helped him build self-confidence.
“Playing the sport made me realise what I was capable of. On the court, I feel free,” the 18-year-old said. “If you can be disciplined with yourself in basketball, then you will apply that same demanding standard to your studies or anything else you do.”
Basketball player Wong Hin-yu, 16, said sports strengthened her mindset.
“You won’t know the outcome until the very last second,” she said. “As long as you believe in yourself, believe in your teammates and trust the coach’s strategy, we can all achieve our own success.”
Balancing sports and school
Lee said there is a lack of resources for basketball in Hong Kong. That is why he makes sure his student-athletes do not ignore their studies.
“We hope they can find a balance between studying and playing sports,” he said. “At least, when they go to university, they will have more choices for the future. Otherwise, if you purely play basketball and aren’t one of the absolute top players, your future options will be very narrow.”
He added that even if students became professional athletes, their careers might only last until their 30s.
This is why the school’s principal, Liang Kwun-fan, wants to show pupils different sports career options. For example, the school invited organisations to teach students about hosting sports events.
“Students [will] realise they can pursue careers in related fields like sports photography,” he said. “[We hope] students can see that their growth in sports and their journey can lead to a wider range of future paths.”
