PolyU realises student-athletes’ dreams to excel in both academia and sports

Since the launch of Outstanding Sportsmen Recommendation Scheme (OSRS) in 1998, PolyU has to-date admitted more than 1,000 elite athletes to various full-time programmes through the Scheme. Seventy elite athletes are enrolled through OSRS this academic year across 26 sports. It is the first time that a baseball athlete and a practical shooting athlete has been recruited to PolyU under the Scheme.

With about 50 entry scholarships amounting to more than HK$1 million offered to outstanding athletes, PolyU has in recent years led amongst local institutions in the student intake and number of sports scholarships offered. Forty elite athletes newly admitted this year were presented with entry scholarships, ranging from HK$10,000 to full annual tuition fee waivers of HK$42,100. Together with other kinds of scholarships, PolyU offers more than 200 scholarships to student-athletes every year to recognise their distinguished sports achievements and to support their studies.

Other than awarding scholarships, PolyU also offers different types of support for elite student-athletes to enable them to strike a balance between sports life and studying, and to pursue excellence in both aspects. The measures include providing student-athletes with individual mentorship in their academic work and, with regard to general adjustment to university life, offering them flexibility in study assessment schedules to cope with their intensive training routines and worldwide competitions, and/or extending their study period.

Two outstanding athletes admitted to PolyU through the Scheme shared their experience of admission at a media interview held earlier.