Final defeat to Japan can't spoil excitement of making Dubai
It's not quite One Thousand and One Nights away, but Hong Kong will be embarking on their own Arabian Nights adventure after they booked their berth for the 2009 World Cup Sevens in Dubai yesterday.
A magical display of pace, power and raw commitment gave Hong Kong a 26-0 victory over Taiwan in the crunch semi-final, and ensured they would be living their fairy tale at the brand new 'The Sevens' stadium built on the outskirts of Dubai City, from March 5-7.
'It is awesome that we will be going to the World Cup. We have been training and preparing for this moment for the past three months and it is a massive relief to finally achieve our goal,' said elated Hong Kong captain Andrew Chambers.
Joining Hong Kong as Asia's representatives for the fifth World Cup Sevens will be Japan who defeated China 24-0 in the other semi-final. The Arabian Gulf will also figure in the 24-team men's tournament gaining an automatic berth as hosts.
The final result was always going to be academic - the only thing at stake being the World Cup seeding, Asia 1 and Asia 2, and bragging rights - but Hong Kong would still have been disappointed they couldn't quite put the icing on the cake, losing 12-10 to Japan.