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Alvin Sallay
Alvin Sallay
Alvin Sallay was a Sunday columnist with the paper for more than 10 years and reported on the Hong Kong sports scene for the last 25 years. Through his columns he covered four Olympic Games and one soccer World Cup. A long-time Asia expert, he has also been to seven consecutive Asian Games.

The hockey community has been in deep mourning at the death of Gurvinder Singh Dillon, popularly known as "Guv". At 35, Guv was too young to be taken by cancer, which he had battled for the past three years before succumbing last Monday. It left his mum and dad, Billy and Santhia, having to face the hardest thing a parent can do.

A visa snag and a freak accident have robbed Hong Kong of both wicketkeepers in the build-up to their 2016 ICC World Twenty20 qualifying campaign.

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Every sevens-playing nation will be primed and ready to roll out the big guns – including Japan, Hong Kong's biggest threat in qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Hong Kong will have a second "Hong Kong Sevens" this year when the first major professional darts tournament is staged on the Central waterfront.

The pieces are falling into place and when the jigsaw is complete it will paint a bleak picture for Hong Kong, who will have to win the Asian qualifiers to make it to next year's Rio Olympics.

Rugby fans could be playing the April fool next year when the Hong Kong Sevens is moved from its traditional last-weekend in March event date.

Is it a white elephant or a vital piece of infrastructure to maintain Hong Kong's status as "Asia's World City"? Essentially those are the opposing views about the long-delayed and controversial Kai Tak Multi-Purpose Sports Complex (MPSC) project, which took another blow in recent weeks.

Try putting yourself in the shoes of sevens veterans Nick Hewson, Lee Jones and Ben Rimene, and then consider what decision you would take on giving up your birthright to chase a dream.

Teenage siblings Jack Wong Hong-kit and Cody Wong Hong-yi could represent the next generation of tennis in Hong Kong, but even Cody is surprised by her brother's dedication - he is quitting school to follow his pro dreams.

Summer is coming and the outlook is gloomy for the Kai Tak Sports Complex following the setback in Legco with the government dropping a funding request that was to go before the Finance Committee.

Hong Kong will take the international game to the local community in November with an expanded home test programme featuring Portugal, Russia and Zimbabwe played at three different venues.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter broke his silence on the corruption crisis engulfing soccer, saying that accused officials had brought shame and humiliation on the sport’s global governing body.

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Take a bow Tim Baker. Eddie Jones believes you are one of the best referees in Asia and should have been in charge of the last game in the Asia Rugby Championship between Hong Kong and Japan even though you are a Hong Kong referee.

New captain Tanwir Afzal promised to play “fearless” cricket as Hong Kong attempt to win through to the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in India next year.

The future of cricket at the Asian Games hangs in the balance after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) delayed a decision on the sport's exclusion from the next edition of the multisports event in Jakarta in 2018.

Hong Kong could field players in the new Japan-based Super Rugby franchise according to Brave Blossoms' coach Eddie Jones - but it will depend on how the team perform in their inaugural season next year.

Hong Kong held on to their number two spot in Asia after the final match in the Asia Rugby Championship against Japan was abandoned on Saturday owing to torrential rain – much to the disgust of World Cup-bound Japanese coach Eddie Jones. Hong Kong’s women lost 12-27 in their finale against Japan and ended third in the Asia Women’s Rugby Championship.

Possession and playing at pace will be the key ingredients for Japan at the Rugby World Cup, according to head coach Eddie Jones, who is mapping out a strategy he hopes will enable his charges to spring a surprise or two this September in England.

Lo Kwan-yee hit the nail on the head soon after Kitchee clinched the treble this season by defeating Eastern in the FA Cup final when he said it was a pity local players were not being given more opportunities in the Premier League.

Head coach Andy Hall has called for Hong Kong to take a lesson from the adventurous style of South Korea and give it their best shot against Japan at Aberdeen Stadium on Saturday.

A late burst from stand-in captain Tanwir Afzal, who blasted an unbeaten 55, failed to save Hong Kong from slipping to defeat in the second Twenty20 match allowing Namibia to level the two-match series 1-1 in Windhoek

Hong Kong will “not go out to defend for 80 minutes” and will look to fly-half Niall Rowark to lead the attack against Japan in the Asia Rugby Championship finale at Aberdeen Stadium on Saturday.