Five to represent HK in national English-speaking contest

The "21st Century Cup" Competition, established in 1996, introduced the Hong Kong division in 2017 to provide a stage for local students to demonstrate their English proficiency. It also has established a platform for youth exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland.

Carol Chan Ka-lo, a 15-year-old high school champion, said she was "thrilled" at winning the award. Chan took part in the competition the year before and was a finalist in the junior group. To hone her skill, she watched many videos about English-speaking competitions to learn other people's techniques and has been practicing diligently to improve her own.

"I believed in 'never giving up'. Just by keeping up the efforts, you ultimately will succeed," said Chan.

Zhou Hanyi,10, the winner of the primary category (senior), said she felt nervous before she went on stage. "But when I start speaking, I just enjoy it," she said.

Around 50 judges have taken part in the competition from the preliminary stages through to the final. They came from different institutions, including the Education Bureau, English Speaking Union Hong Kong, British Council, Hong Kong Baptist University, Education University of Hong Kong, and Open University of Hong Kong.