PolyU admits 13 sports talents through SALSA and directly recruits students with special talents, with a new Residential College planned for their holistic development

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has admitted 13 elite student-athletes under the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme (SALSA) this year, and is excited to witness the students extend their spirit of giving their all in competition to their academic pursuits as they embark on their undergraduate studies in the 2022/23 academic year.

PolyU actively supports SALSA, spearheaded by the University Grants Committee (UGC), by proving outstanding student-athletes the opportunity to pursue tertiary education, while also providing extensive learning support to facilitate their holistic development. PolyU has so far admitted 13 athletes who have excelled in athletics, swimming, badminton, fencing, table tennis, gymnastics, squash, triathlon and sailing etc., making Hong Kong proud with their outstanding results in regional and global tournaments.

The newly admitted student-athletes will be enrolled in a wide range of undergraduate programmes, including some that are in high demand. Among the freshmen, four will study Physiotherapy, two have been admitted to Hotel and Tourism Management, one will be in Medical Laboratory Science, while the others have opted for programmes that include Linguistics and Translation, English and Applied Linguistics, Management and Marketing, and Applied Social Sciences etc.

PolyU also embraces students with special talents in sports, arts and culture, community service and leadership, and STEM through the “Special Talents Admission Scheme”, which will commence in 2022/23 academic year. The newly launched scheme will serve as an alternative admission route for students whose exceptional achievements cannot be fully reflected in their HKDSE results.

While all applicants to our undergraduate programmes will be automatically considered for this scheme according to the non-academic achievements submitted in their applications, JUPAS applicants who are interested in this scheme are encouraged to prioritise their PolyU programmes choices. PolyU selection panels will assess applications and results will be announced from May 2022 onwards.

Additionally, PolyU will be establishing a new Residential College to help foster a vibrant university life for the student-athletes and students with special talents. Scholarships of up to HK$100,000 will be awarded to eligible students, in addition to individual mentorship in their academic work, flexibility in learning and study assessments, extension of study periods and more, offering these students comprehensive support to facilitate their holistic development.

PolyU’s Vice President (Education) Professor Kwok-yin Wong welcomes the 13 student-athletes admitted via SALSA to PolyU. “Athletes challenge their limits in competitions. I believe they will apply such indefatigable spirit to achieving academic excellence too. We warmly welcome the student-athletes and students with special talents to the PolyU community, and look forward to seeing them inspire and encourage their peers to pursue excellence together.”

Among the recently admitted student-athletes are triathlete Yip Tak Long and squash athlete Wai Sze Wing. Yip Tak Long, who has been training for the triathlon since the age of eight and won the Boys' Short Distance in the 2019 2nd National Youth Games, will study Physiotherapy in the coming academic year. He believes his passion for triathlon has fuelled his interest in physiotherapy. “Injuries are the greatest enemy for every athlete, who must learn to avoid them. Therefore, I started to develop an interest in learning physiotherapy and finding ways to prevent injuries. Participating in the Asian Games and the Olympics are my ultimate goals. I hope to strike a balance between my training and studies, as an athlete and a physiotherapist.”

Squash athlete Wai Sze Wing also achieved great honour representing Hong Kong in the 26th Asian Junior Individual Championships 2019. She will pursue Hotel and Tourism Management at PolyU in the coming academic year. “Living in hotels in different countries for competitions has stoked my interest in the hospitality industry. PolyU offers the world’s best Hotel and Tourism Management education and I’m delighted to have been admitted to my dream programme. I’d like to be a squash coach in future, but also step out of my comfort zone to work as a hotel manager.”

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