Hong Kong rower Chiu Hin-chun said on Thursday that his bronze medal in the men's single sculls at the Asian Games shows that he's got the skills to compete at the highest international level.

Chiu was only less than a second off silver in Hangzhou last week. He told RTHK that his hard work and determination are paying off.

"I think over the past few years, my hard work already paid off because I performed my best of the best in these Games. Usually people say performing 80 to 90 percent of our training in the competition is already very good," he said.

"But I think I performed over 100 percent so it was a very good race and I had good fun with these international opponents."

Chiu is now preparing for the Olympic qualifiers in April. He previously qualified for the 2016 Olympics in the men's lightweight double sculls.

"Body weight is a big factor in my event because body mass can produce stronger strength. I need to work on my body mass. I believe I can be stronger and faster," he said.

"Also the technique, I think I am improving in my water skills so over the coming six months, I can make it perfect."

Chiu said society’s support for Hong Kong athletes was extremely motivating, adding that he’s happy to see more young people joining the sport.