Hong Kong, China: Sophie Han, a member of the Hong Kong, China golf team, has been chosen as a recipient of the EFG Young Athletes Foundation (EFGYAF) Scholarship 2024.
The EFGYAF scholarship programme is now in its 12th year and once again attracted a high level of interest, with over 80 applicants from across almost 30 different sport disciplines.
From the athletes who applied, 10 finalists were selected for interview by a panel chaired by Albert Chiu, Executive Chairman of EFG Bank for Asia Pacific and Chairman of the EFGYAF.
The panel selected Han and Mak Cheuk Wing, a Hong Kong, China windsurfing and sailing athlete, as the 2024 winners. They will receive scholarships at a combined value of HK$300,000 from the EFGYAF.
Han and Mak will be able to use their scholarships to fund advanced coaching, sports psychology training and other activities that they require in their on-going pursuit of sporting excellence, as well as meeting the costs of travel to international competitions.
Han, aged 17, has become a key member of the Golf Association of Hong Kong, China and competed in the Asian Games, the Queen Sirikit Cup and the World Amateur Team Championship (Espirito Santo Trophy).
In the past 12 months, she broke into the top-100 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) for the first time and won her first professional trophy when she claimed victory in the Reignwood CLPGA Classic in July.
Han is following the footsteps of EFG’s Global Sport Ambassador Tiffany Chan, Hong Kong’s first LPGA Tour member and golf Olympian.
Alongside Han and Chan, Arianna Lau, Chloe Chan Cheuk-yee and Isaac Lee are previous elite golfing recipients of the scholarship.
Han said: “I am honoured to be named as an EFG Young Athletes Foundation scholar, allowing me to follow in the footsteps of Tiffany Chan and Arianna Lau, two of Hong Kong’s most talented female golfers.
“The funding that I receive will help me to enhance my training and gain more opportunities to compete internationally. I want to express my gratitude to the EFG Young Athletes Foundation for recognising my potential.”
