HONG KONG: Timothy Fok Tsun-ting has been immersed in the Hong Kong sporting community almost for as long as he can remember. It's an affinity he probably acquired from his late father, tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung, who was an avid sportsman as well as a successful entrepreneur.

"I was born into a family and grew up in a milieu that cherished sports as a crucible for character even more than for sheer physical strength," said the 63-year-old.

The late Sir Henry Ying-tung Fok, founder of the Fok Ying-tung Foundation. Edmond Tang

"My father loved sports, especially tennis and football, and was proficient in both. Had business not lured him away from this single greatest passion, he could have become a professional flanker for he was gifted with nimble feet, quick reflexes and stamina as well as coordination.

"Since I was not exactly the born Apollo, fleet and agile, I found myself going the other route, to serve the sporting community and benefit from the camaraderie hard to find elsewhere," he said.

Continuing the Fok sporting tradition, Timothy Fok has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2001. He also sits as a Hong Kong lawmaker representing the fields of sports, performing arts, culture and publication.

Like many others, Fok didn't have a special game plan when he was a kid. "I did not dwell on what the future held," he said. "I did what a school boy would do and wanted to avoid blunders, mishaps and punishment. Tomorrow was always another day."

But he said he had no regrets stemming from his youth, which he described as "reckless". "One rarely realizes that time is precious and should be treasured rather than frittering it away," he said.

Still, he never let his father down with his achievements in the sports and political arenas.

"Everyone should be able to say that a parent, whether the father or the mother, has molded his world view and conduct," said Fok. "(My father) was a paragon with virtues that I would like to learn - he was always humble and true to his word. He was of the generation of businessmen whose personal pledge was more ironclad than legal contracts. Once he shook his hand on a commitment, it was binding and, in this, his faith and commitment were unshakeable."

His father, unquestionably, was one of his role models. "He had been exemplary, honorable and honest in how he conducted his business and how he treated people," he said.

Like his father, Timothy Fok is also keen on sports. "I play tennis regularly to stay reasonably fit. I watch all sorts of sports at major tournaments and Olympiads as one would expect of an International Olympic Committee member. I marvel at what great athletes can do and wish I were as gifted as they but obviously I am not and will never be," he said.

Looking back at his life, he said his proudest moment was seeing the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony last year.

Truly, sports have always been an indispensable part of his life. "It is the drama in sports which is a metaphor for human existence. One endures agony, struggles, makes sacrifices for just a chance for glory, which, for most, is elusive, out of reach, sometimes yet tantalizingly close," he said.

"The result, whether of bitter defeat or ecstatic triumph, is invariably transcendental."

His resilience in rallying support for sports is also evident. "In Hong Kong, it is the Leisure and Cultural Services Department which oversees sports development. Sports are merely considered as kind of leisure activities. Meanwhile, on the mainland, sports are overseen by the General Administration of Sport," he said. "It shows the Hong Kong government does not attach much importance to sports."

Having been a supremo in Hong Kong's sports scene for decades, Fok also seems to have endowed his own children with a love of sports, especially his eldest son Kenneth Fok Kai-kong. "He is interested in sports.

He is now the president of the Hong Kong Gymnastics Association and deputy secretary general of the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee," he said. "I hope more young people can pitch in and Kenneth can have his say on whether to take part in it."

(HK Edition 05/27/2009 page3)