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Wong Mei Ling (Golf)

Wong Mei Ling (Golf)
Wong Mei Ling (Golf)

Visually Impaired Golfer

Sports opened a closed mind – Wong Mei Ling

Visually Impaired Golfer

Sports opened a closed mind – Wong Mei Ling

 

Golfer Wong Mei Ling loves smiling. When she smiles, her freckles seem like jumping notes. The girl in her twenties, is a nucleus athlete in HKBSF. Apart from golf, she also takes part in marathon, swimming and goal ball. On the day of the interview, she even made cookies by herself.  It was difficult to believe that she was once a reclusive person.   

 

Mei Ling had been very active.  When her eyesight declined to less than 20%, it had restricted her participation in many sports.

 

“I once studied in a regular secondary school but I was not able to play badminton with others.  Sometimes, the teacher allowed me to throw the ball to start the game, which had already made me excited.  However, I was not happy to see some sighted students giving up their chances to play.” Gradually, nothing could attract Mei Ling though she knew she loved sports and had a desire for winning. She isolated herself and even wanted to die.

 

Until two years ago, she learned about HKBSF from friends and took part in the sports activities organized by HKBSF which aims to provide equal opportunities to the visually impaired to participate.

 

 “I want to try everything. I yearned for people’s cheering when I was swimming; I also took part in dragon boat, even football.  It is rather tiring to be trained at the football pitch in June, but I enjoy the sunshine.”  Mei Ling said she was once too thin and seemed like a famine victim, but sports made her healthier. 

 

Later she became a part-time staff of HKBSF, and led the visually impaired members to the golf training class last July. During the training, her motor nerve incited her to play together and she started practising a little. The coach noticed her right posture and encouraged her to join the training. 

 

 “At first, I felt a bit bored since I could not see the golf ball track. Later, I realized that I could listen to the ball.  Actually, if the hit is good, the sound will be clear”, she said.

 

Mei Ling officially took part in the training last November.  Less than two weeks, she participated in the 1st Hong Kong International Blind Golf Invitational cum Hong Kong International Golf Tournament for All in Weizhou, China. On the first day of the tournament, she raised her club and hit a golf which made her almost wanted to give up.

 

“Fortunately, the sighted guide encouraged me and persuaded me to value the opportunity and simply enjoyed the process,” she said.  “Then I asked the volunteer to guide me and told me the size of the area and environment of the course. I couldn’t see clearly, but I could imagine based on volunteer’s descriptions”, she described wittily.

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Supporting Organisations:
International Blind Golf Association
The Hong Kong Counil of Social Service
Social Capital Builder (SCB) Awards 2020
Web Accessibility Gold Awards 2020-21