Grace Lau eyes HK's first karatedo gold at AG

Hong Kong's Grace Lau is aiming to become the city's first karatedo gold medalist at the upcoming Asian Games. Currently the world's top-ranked individual kata athlete, Lau will be among eight athletes representing Hong Kong at the Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. She seeks to upgrade the colour of her medal after finishing as bronze medalist at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Lau admits that pressure was too much during her previous Games participation. She claimed she was striving to control aspects beyond her reach and had set excessively high expectations for herself and others. This caused her to lose enjoyment in her performance. However, in recent years, she has learned to handle challenges better and is now focused on embracing the entire experience, including the enjoyment of the process.

To prepare for the Games, Lau has been adapting to the new rules introduced by the World Karate Federation. She has practiced these regulations in two Premier League competitions to gain an edge in Nagoya. Hong Kong's squad comprises three female and five male athletes. Among the men, Martin Li is the only debutant, competing in the team kata event. Li, who has gold medal experience in the National Karate Championships Finals, plans to treat the Games like any other competition, focusing on delivering his best performance.

Head coach William Thomas maintains a measured approach to expectations. While he does not burden his athletes with medal pressure, he expects them to give their best performance. Thomas also emphasizes the importance of team spirit, commitment, and mutual respect, highlighting their significance alongside technical preparation.