時人時事：港羽代表葉姵延 嗚咽談教練退役

放大圖片

　■葉姵延是香港羽毛球隊代表，曾在早前舉行的東亞運動會上奪金。資料圖片

　由香港體育記者協會舉辦的「Nikon留住傳奇一刻運動攝影比賽」正在銅鑼灣時代廣場舉行展覽。大會首日邀得兩名東亞運獎牌得主「黑妹」葉姵延及蔡曉慧擔任頒獎禮嘉賓；其中「黑妹」於頒獎禮後談及港羽隊總教練陳智才「才叔」退役時，一度於展覽場上嗚咽，場面感人。

　頒獎禮吸引不少贊助商及體育界嘉賓抽空前來，其中羽毛球隊代表葉姵延及剛退役的游泳隊代表蔡曉慧亦為座上客。展覽中不少入圍相片均為「黑妹」於東亞運動會上的精彩片段，她笑言自己雖不懂專業攝影，但亦很欣賞一眾攝影師為他們捕捉傳奇一刻的技術。

　談及教練陳智才退役的決定，多年來與「才叔」並肩作戰的「黑妹」難免情緒激動，她說：「東亞運前已聽說他會退役，但知道時都忍不住哭起來；不過我尊重他的決定，他認為現時港隊新人能夠逐漸冒起，他也覺得累了，所以是適當時候休息一下吧。」雖已接受現實，「黑妹」依然大感不捨，嗚咽說：「我覺得他好像我第二個父親一樣，除教我打球外，還傳授我很多做人的道理，幸好我於東亞運取得金牌，沒有在他退休前讓他失望，畢竟那是我首面大賽金牌。」

"Dark Girl" Wept as She Talked about "Uncle Choi"

　Winning entries of the Nikon "Seize the Legend Moment Sports Photo Contest" organized by the H.K Sports Press Association are now on display in an exhibition at the Times Square in Causeway Bay. The organizer invited two East Asian Games medalists, Yip Pui-yin nicknamed "dark girl", and Tsai Hiu-wai as guests of honour in the prize presentation ceremony on the first day's exibition. After the ceremony, "dark girl" talked about the retirement of Chan Chi-choi(nicknamed "Uncle Choi"), the chief coach of the H.K badminton team. She could not hold back her tears while talking about the retirement of the coach and the scene was very touching.

　The prize presentation ceremony was attended by many guests from sponsors as well as the sports sector. Among them were the H.K badminton team player Yip Pui-yin and the just-retired H.K swimming team member Tsai Hiu-wai. A number of the photos in the exhibition depicted spectacular images of "dark girl" playing in the East Asian Games. Yip said with a smile that she knew nothing about professional photography but appreciated the photographers for their techniques in capturing the legendary moments of the athletes.

　While talking about the decision of her coach, Chan Chi-choi to retire, "dark girl", who had worked with him for so many years, became emotional. "We had heard of his plan for retirement before the East Asian Games but still I could not help crying when the news was broken to us. However, I respect his decision. He thinks that now the H.K team has seen new blood emerging and he is feeling tired. It should be the right time for him to take some rest," she said. Although she has accepted the fact, she still misses "Uncle Choi" very much. "He is like a father to me. Besides coaching me in badminton, he taught me a lot about the right ways to be a good person. It is fortunate that I won a gold medal in the East Asian Games. If not, I would have let him down before he retires. After all, it was the first gold medal I have ever won in a major event," she said in tears. 　■Translation by開明