IF the cap fits, then a York-trained physicist could win £10,000 in an international competition.

Dr Kin Kam, who has invented a sports cap, called the iicap, which allows you to secure your spectacles or sunglasses below the peak, has beaten fierce competition to become one of eight finalists in the UK leg of the China-UK Entrepreneurship contest.

The competition is judged on ideas and business plans which best show the potential of businesses which have a China and UK connection.

The iicap takes the weight of your glasses and compresses it, so if you were playing tennis, badminton or golf you would be able to keep a steady eye on the ball; or if you’re a sweaty-nosed gardener this summer you can lean over the trowel without your specs falling into fertiliser.

Hong Kong-born Dr Kam, of Blakeney Place, York, was one of six entrepreneurs pitching their sporting innovations to those hard-nosed Dragon’s Den investors on BBC2 in the run-up to Sport Relief Weekend in March.

The iicap was a big hit at last year’s Venturefest Yorkshire in York, but the Dragon’s Den panel “just didn’t get it”, Dr Kam complained afterwards.

Now comes his chance to prove them wrong at the final being held on July 16, at University College London, with the UK winner competing in September against the China winner in their parallel competition.

The £10,000 prize is likely to be outweighed by the winner’s exposure to high-level networking opportunities and Chinese venture capital funds of £250,000.

There were more than 120 submissions received in the UK, although only 16 teams got through to the semi-finals, including a University of York team from the economics department on building a “UK-China Health Co-operative”.

Dr Kam, who is also a former University of York physics student, was delighted to have reached the final representing his invention company Inclusive Innovations.

He said: “The competition standard was amazing, and the finals will be even tougher.

“I will do my best to win, and am proud to represent York and publicise its excellent creative environment.”

In 2005, Dr Kam demonstrated to the Dragons Den team his Smartcard concept – a mock up of an idea which bleeped a warning of an impending hospital appointment.

A version of the electronic device, which he reckoned could save the NHS about £250 million a year in missed appointments, was rejected by the panel, but is now being trialed in collaboration with CUHTEC, the Centre for Usable Home Technology, a collaboration between the University of York and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.