Page 13 - 158 varsity ebook

/ 11

Jason Tang Chun-man wife and my parents. I need HK $60,000 to HK $70,000 a
owner of Jason Fitness month for all these expenses,” says Tang, who has worked
(Photo courtesy of as a full-time coach for seven years.
Jason Tang Chun-man) Fitness centres were closed as one of the government’s
measures to reduce infection risk during the pandemic.
ason Tang Chun-man, Tang gained zero income from his centre since he had to
owner of Jason Fitness close it and cancel all his classes.
Jhas mixed feelings about Tang has organized “takeaway classes” at parks near
his centre’s operation as the fight students’ homes, trying to earn some extra money. “I made
against COVID-19 in Hong Kong is HK $10,000 a month from these classes, but that only
threatened by a rapidly ballooning outbreak at a gym. translates to one-tenth of my original income,” he says.
According to the Centre for Health Protection, there He stopped holding “takeaway classes” after the reo-
are already 122 cases related to the cluster outbreak in Ur- pening of his centre and focuses on operating his fitness
sus Fitness in Sai Ying Pun as of March 15. It is now the centre.
second-largest cluster outbreak in Hong Kong.
Gyms across the city were closed for months due to Problems Caused by the Regulation on Venues
COVID-19 restrictions. The government announced on Siu Cheong-hung, founder and volleyball coach of
February 10, 2021 that fitness centres would be allowed Hong Kong Elite Volleyball Academy (HKEVA), shares
to reopen on February 18. All staff members have to do Tang’s worries. He is also not sure if his academy can oper-
a COVID-19 test every 14 days and all gym centres are ate to its full capacity.
required to install ventilation facilities inside their venues.
Having reopened for only a month, Tang’s operation,
which offers fitness and Muay Thai classes, is heavily im-
pacted by the Ursus Fitness cluster outbreak, .
“A lot of our students have cancelled their bookings or
stop having classes in our centre. There are around 30 to 40
per cent fewer students in our centre now,” he says.
“But I do not think that I am unlucky. Things are no
longer under my control, so there is nothing that I can do
now,” he adds.
Tang says that he felt helpless and frustrated in the past
few months when his centre was closed.
“I used my savings to pay rent for my fitness centre
and mortgage for my flat. I have to take care of my jobless

Siu Cheong-hung, founder and volleyball coach of
Hong Kong Elite Volleyball Academy
(Photo courtesy of Siu Cheong-hung)

I have lost my main source of

income as a volleyball coach
Jason Tang Chun-man’s fitness centre was closed
for about six months in 2020. during the pandemic.
(Photo courtesy of Jason Tang Chun-man)