Norman Chan Shui-tim, the association’s chairman, said he wanted to provide better insurance, “but the fact is, there is none available”.
Dah Sing Insurance, which has been the association’s insurance provider since 2015, said it would be “glad” to meet customers’ needs, but the association had not made a request to update its coverage, which presently caps any individual claim at HK$10,000.
Government officials at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said the association was still in the process of seeking a new policy, more than two months after the Post revealed injured players had been left paying for treatment.
Marco Leung Ka-hin said he finally recouped money almost six months after submitting his claims, but the 24-year-old had since seen his initial HK$51,000 bill rise by another HK$40,000 for a second operation to fix a broken nose, with a third still to come.
Another player, who faced medical bills of more than HK$70,000 after suffering injuries in Australia in 2020, and in Mongolia last February, also said “there’s not a single word” from the association regarding the unclaimed amounts.
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, one of the eight vice-presidents of the city’s Olympic Committee, and a member of the Legislative Council, said he had approached financial secretary Paul Chan Mo-po about “increasing resources to provide medical welfare for non-elite sports athletes”.
At the moment, the city’s Sports Institute only covers athletes involved in those sports that have elite status.
Hong Kong are expected to name a much-weakened squad for the coming Asia Cup qualifiers, with up to eight players from the 12-strong squad that competed in Hangzhou last September missing because of injuries, and among other reasons.
Multiple sources told the Post that senior officials at the association had asked local A1 Division teams to send players for some minor Hong Kong team duties, including at the HK-Macau Interport and the Guangdong Hong Kong Cup late last year, as part of the selection process.
Players who opted not to attend were told they risked being ignored for the city’s two international matches during the international window in February.
Most of the Asian Games squad didn’t feature in those tournaments, and a handful of others declined the call-up, leaving the association to pick players with little or no international experience.
Hong Kong will host the Philippines in their Group B opening game at Tsuen Wan Sports Centre on February 22, before facing New Zealand in Auckland three days later.
Separately, the East Asia Super League champions will be crowned on March 10 in Cebu, the Philippines, as the city hosts the 2023-24 season final four.
Jeremy Lin and the New Taipei Kings, and Yuki Togashi and the Chiba Jets, are among the stars set to compete at Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.
A two-day tournament will feature four elimination games, two semi-finals on March 8, followed by the third-place play-off and the Championship Game on March 10.
Also taking part are Korean Basketball League side Seoul SK Knights, and reigning KBL and EASL champions Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kwLG70a1mm5mjoLK1rsClo2iZoqm2pLjEaGprbWBqgnR7x6iloGWbpLuoecGaqqSdpJeurbiMnJ%2BinZZir62tzJ6qZqGeqMKzrc2cnGahnpnCtMDRsmSlmZOgeq6xw6KamqRdmLy3sdGanp5loKGuurHRrGSroaOgeqmxxa2wZpqZobm0