Compatriots from Macao and Taiwan also play vital part

Chloe Ho Pui-pui had no hesitation in making a special trip from Hong Kong to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, to act as a volunteer for the 19th Asian Games, which ended on Sunday.

"For an event of this international stature and significance, the question shouldn't be why should I take part in it, but why not," she said.

Born in 1985, Ho used to work in banking, but after becoming tired of the job, she became an officer in the Hong Kong Police Force.

Wearing a high ponytail, walking quickly and talking fast, she exemplifies the image of a Hong Kong policewoman often seen in the city's movies and television dramas.

In March, after hearing that the Hong Kong Island Women's Association, a leading charity organization, was recommending local residents to work as volunteers at the Asian Games, Ho was the first to step forward.

Ho said: "There is usually a gap of several years between events on the scale of the Asian Games. Life is short, and as I'm not that young, I could not miss out this time."

Since March, Ho devoted all her spare time to prepare for being a volunteer.

She first passed an interview with the association, before undergoing a training course at Tuen Mun Public Riding School, which is managed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.