A Coach with Gold on his Mind
Rene Appel
When Rene Appel came to Hong Kong 21 years ago he never thought he'd be watching his windsurfing team win one gold and two silvers at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. Though quite an accomplishment, he's not sitting on his laurels, but looking forward to 2008. His hope is to see a second gold – or any other colour medal – in the next Olympics. "We have a team with the potential to do it," he says, "and it would be especially nice to do it in Beijing."
Windsurfing got into Rene's blood when he was 12. Just before the last race on his route to becoming Holland's national champion, Rene broke his foot and shattered his dreams. He came to Asia to work for a
Dutch sailmaker planning to develop the industry
Rene with Gold Medal Winner Chan King Yin |
here, and later moved on to coach windsurfing at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) in 1990.
His first task was to prepare a plan for the 1992 Olympics, barely two years away – a very short time in terms of preparations. "It was a disaster but we came away knowing what needed to be done," Rene remembers. He set up a four-year plan, emphasizing physical fitness, and together with technical research, Hong Kong's team came out as world leaders in windsurfing. Lee Lai Shan, strongly committed to achieving her goals, won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
"Most sports require 10 years of training to shape top athletes," Rene stressed. "What athletes need here is a clear and comprehensive government sports policy. Targets must be clear, funding coordinated, and plans made for four-year cycles, so that coaches and athletes know their budget." With a good policy, the younger athletes' potential could be tapped at a much earlier age.
The problem for windsurfers – or any other athlete here – is that they need support for a 10-year commitment to the sport so they can concentrate on training rather than worry about their future. "Parents put tremendous emphasis on education and do not understand that sport could be an alternative career. They also want guarantees but of course, as in any sport, there are none," Rene explains. Rewards for Hong Kong athletes are insufficient and schools are inflexible when exams conflict with training schedules. Rene suggests that a sports school offering flexibility, such as one newly opened in Singapore, should be on the government agenda.
The development program for windsurfing is now good, he reports, with many young students, a good selection policy and funding for overseas competitions. Athletes that you see competing now – like Chan King Yin who won gold at Doha and silver medallists Chan Wai Kei and Ho Chi Ho – have been in the system for about eight years. They will be peaking at the right time for the next Olympics.
Due to preparations for the 2008 Olympic equestrian events at Shatin, the team's support services moved to Wu Kai Sha in Ma On Shan. Though the facilities are still being upgraded to previous standards, the major problem in this move is that time and effort are wasted travelling back and forth from the Elite team's training spot in Stanley. With the Olympics so close, Rene is frustrated by the year-long discussions to overcome the problems preventing them from using the Stanley Sea School as an interim solution.
A long time Sai Kung resident, Rene can't seem to stay away from the water or sports. He goes surfing, skiing, and motor biking, but he loves the fun and the speed of surf skiing (ocean kayaking): "It's the best water sport, other than windsurfing, to stay fit."