A Black Kite's Fairy Tale - RCHK Boys Swimming Makes History at the 2025 ISSFHK Championships
By Bradley Tang
On November 14, 2025, the Black Kites boys' swimmers took home the overall Boys Champions banner at the International Schools Sports Federation of Hong Kong (ISSFHK) Division Two Swimming Championships held at Victoria Park Swimming Pool. With determination, skills, and teamwork, the Black Kites boys dominated the competition, clinching this first-ever overall Boys Championships title for RCHK swimming. Not only is this the first-ever win for the school, but the team has also secured its advancement to Division One for the next academic year. Moreover, five ISSFHK records were broken by Black Kites, making the team a force not to be reckoned with.
This historical victory was achieved through a combination of record-breaking individual performances and hardworking teamwork at the relays.
The Black Kites Boys set five remarkable ISSFHK Division Two records:
Individual Records:
Bradley Tang (Year 8) 100m Breaststroke - Gold Medal (1:19.89)
Hercules Ma (Year 9) 100m Freestyle - Gold Medal (59.38)
Hercules Ma (Year 9) 50m Butterfly - Gold Medal (29.62)
Yannick Yeung (Year 13) 50m Freestyle - Gold Medal (24.38)
Team Relay Record:
Boys U20 4x50 Medley Relay - Axel Wong, Kal-el Chow, Nicohlas Cox, Yannick Yeung - Gold Medal (2:00.07)
When asked about his performance, Hercules Ma (Year 9) said, “Breaking my personal records was an incredible feeling; it showed how hard work and dedication pay off. I’m really proud of our whole team, everyone pushed themselves to the limit and supported each other.”
The number of medals won by the Boys’ team ultimately gave Black Kites an advantage over their rivals, Stamford International School and Singapore International School, in the Boys' Championship category.
A contingent of 60 Black Kites swimmers were present to race against 14 schools in Hong Kong at the ISSFHK Championship. The girls' team also delivered strong performances, contributing to the combined score of 587.5 and earning RCHK an overall First Place.
The U20 Girls also won in their category with 105 points. The U20 Girls Team included Felice Chan, Aspen Kwan, Marjorie Lee, Haze Leung, Leanne Tse, and Shanice Wong.
“The Black Kites swim team has pulled off amazing results this year!” said Chris Molnar, the Black Kites Aquatics Manager. “Our Black Kites swimmers had been showing strong performances leading up to this important annual swimming competition at the pre-qualifying races, proving once again that the Black Kites swimmers are ready to take on any challenges.”
Next up for the Black Kites Swim Team is the Bangkok Patana International School’s Feeding Frenzy Meet between November 28 and December 1 in Bangkok, Thailand. Black Kites are more than ready to bring home the hardware.