************************************************************
Five secondary students who represented Hong Kong at the 39th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Vietnam returned home today (July 29) with one gold and four bronze medals. This is the fifth Hong Kong team to have participated in the Olympiad since 2004, and the third team to win gold after successes in 2004 and 2005.
Gold medallist Leung Ka-hei, of Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School, was named the Best Contestant winning first prize in the Pan-Pearl River Delta plus Chinese Elite Schools Physics Olympiad in February.
Fung Cheok-yin, of Queen Elizabeth School, a bronze medallist, was the first Hong Kong schoolgirl to win a medal in the IPhO.
Other bronze medallists of the HK team were Lui Kam-to (Kwun Tong Maryknoll College), Tang Wai-hung (Baptist Wing Lung Secondary School) and Wong Sung-ching (CMA Sun Kei Secondary School).
All five Hong Kong participants were trainees in the Physics Enhancement Programme under the Support Measures for the Exceptionally Gifted Students Scheme of the Education Bureau. With outstanding performances in the Hong Kong Physics Olympiad 2007, they were subsequently selected to take part in a series of enhancement courses before participating in the competition.
The IPhO this year was held from July 20 to 29 in Hanoi with more than 400 contestants from 82 countries participating. The event is aimed at promoting education in physics, strengthening interaction and co-operation among physics experts worldwide and training and inspiring teenagers who have enormous potential in physics.
The leader of the Hong Kong Team was Prof Yang Zhi-yu of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Mr Dik Wai-yin, physics teacher at Law Ting Pong Secondary School, was deputy leader.
Information on the competition is available on the website of the Support Measures for the Exceptionally Gifted Students Scheme at (http://gifted.hkedcity.net/).
Ends/Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:59
NNNN
