Despite stiff challenge and the tough task in the Doha Asian Games, Hong Kong tennis team is raring to go ahead for top honour.

"It's a huge task, which the players are well aware of," says Ray Kelly, coach of the women's team, who accompanied the players when they left on Wednesday.

"The Asian Games is one of the biggest sporting events in the region and all the top players will take part. So for us, getting a good result will be difficult."

In the women's team, Venise Chan, Hong Kong's top-ranked player, will have a tough contest along with Polly Lam Po-kuen and Tong Ka-po. In the men's events, the SAR's hopes rest on Yu Hiu-tung and Davis Cup stalwart Wayne Wong.

Chan, only 17, has been in good form on the women's International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit this year, winning the women's singles title at an ITF challenge in Thailand in July and reached the final of another tournament in Indonesia in October.

The former junior champion has also represented Hong Kong in the Federation Cup, where she won her Asia/Oceania Group 2 matches earlier this year, and has been a regular on the Challenger events on the mainland in the past two years.

Despite a shoulder injury, which forced her to pull out of quarter finals match in the Philippines earlier this month, Chan is ready to put up good show at the Games, said Kelly.

"Venise is playing well at the right time. We thought it was better to be extra careful ahead of the Games and in the last few weeks she has had time to take rest and should be okay on time."

For Chan, the Doha Games will be a big thrill.

"I will represent Hong Kong at the Asian Games for the first time.It's a great honour for me and I'll try my best," Chan said.

While Chan is still getting used to being in the spotlight, Lam, 24, is already a seasoned veteran on the circuit. The Federation Cup regular has been having one of her best years on the Asian circuit, having reached the semi finals of the Philippines tournament, where she battled hard before going down in three sets to her US opponent.

She also reached the quarter-finals in a Challenge event in Shenzhen earlier this year.

However, the in-form Lam, expects the Games to be her swansong, after which she wants to concentrate on her studies. She also represented Hong Kong in the All China Games and the East Asian Games.

"This will be my first appearance for Hong Kong at the Asian Games and I'm really looking forward to it. And because this will be last time I'll play for Hong Kong, I hope to put in my best in the events."

Yu, who just finished playing the Chinese Recreation Club (CRC) Hardcourt Championships last week, has been a regular on the men's Asian circuit and won his Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group 3 singles and doubles matches last year.

The SAR's best doubles player, Yu is also in good form, said Kelly.

"Our best chances will be in the doubles and mixed doubles events, where we have a chance to advance to the later rounds. But a lot depends on the draw. If we don't play against the top countries early, we could do well."

However, Hong Kong will have to face some of the world's top players, including top-ranked mainland pair and reigning Wimbledon doubles champions, Zi Yan and Jie Zheng and Akiko Morigami of Japan in the women's events, and Thailand's Paradorn Srichipan and India's doubles specialists Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, in the men's event.

"This time of the year, there are no other major tournaments, so all the top players will be coming. The standard in Asia is very high now. It will be a great tournament, but extremely difficult," Kelly said.

Adding to the team's pressure is the fact that the future of tennis as one of Hong Kong's elite sports is also in doubt.

The team desperately needs to meet performance criteria set down by the Hong Kong Institute of Sport (HKIS), which requires its sportsmen and women to reach a minimum level of success in the events in which they compete.

"It's true," said Kelly, "we have been under pressure for a while now and basically, the Asian Games is our last chance to get the results we need. It's particularly difficult for us because we have less competitions to achieve results compared to other sports.

"It is not only the players' own performances that count, but the future of the sport in HK and the aspirations of future tennis players are also on their shoulders, so we hope we can do well," Kelly said.