https://www.scmp.com/rss/329727/feed The Hong Kong Masters is a non-ranking snooker tournament that has been held sporadically since the 1980s. It initially ran from 1983-88, then ran again in 1990-91. It was revived with a special event in 2017, and returned in 2022. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP Reporter SCMP Reporter Hong Kong has played host to some of the world’s biggest names in sport, including football greats Pelé and Diego Maradona, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, tennis stars Steffi Graf and Serena Williams, and many more. Here, we delve into the South China Morning Post’s photographic archives to revisit the times when these superstars graced the city’s sporting venues and impressed local fans. https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3331780/pictures-sports-icons-hong-kong-pele-serena-williams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3331780/pictures-sports-icons-hong-kong-pele-serena-williams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 02:00:08 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Ronnie O’Sullivan has returned to Hong Kong to attend the opening of a snooker club he co-funded in the city, in his first such move since being granted residency under a migrant scheme. And the seven-time world champion suggested at Wednesday’s ceremony that when he retires from snooker, he could set his sights on becoming the best in Chinese eight-ball pool. Speaking at the JJ8 Club in Kwun Tong, O’Sullivan said that he was looking forward to returning to the city as part of his tournament... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3319321/ronnie-osullivan-sets-sights-chinese-8-ball-pool-he-opens-snooker-club-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3319321/ronnie-osullivan-sets-sights-chinese-8-ball-pool-he-opens-snooker-club-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:00:32 +0000 Prestigious tennis and snooker tournaments have been among the many elite sports events hosted by Hong Kong in recent months. Snooker’s World Grand Prix, at the new Kai Tak Sports Park, attracted the world’s leading players. Tennis fans, meanwhile, enjoyed the Hong Kong Open men’s tournament in January, one of three international competitions hosted by the city each year. But the two sports were facing demotion from their Tier A status, which would have led to a devastating cut in government... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3306248/winning-decision-tennis-and-snooker-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3306248/winning-decision-tennis-and-snooker-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Apr 2025 22:30:06 +0000 Lionel Messi may have done no more than warm the bench when Inter Miami visited in February, but Hong Kong has had a long history of legends and world champions gracing the city’s sporting venues and impressing local fans. From Pele’s 1970 visit to John McEnroe’s fiery clash with Ivan Lendl in 1984, to the mighty Liverpool side of the 80s visiting in 1983, and having Gary Player’s controversial golf course opening more than a decade later, Hong Kong has hosted some of the biggest superstars in... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3289278/pele-john-mcenroe-and-liverpool-fc-hong-kongs-most-iconic-sports-moments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3289278/pele-john-mcenroe-and-liverpool-fc-hong-kongs-most-iconic-sports-moments?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2024 19:00:08 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer English snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan says he is “blown away” every time he visits China, a country he calls “the greatest place on Earth”. Days after taking up Hong Kong residency, the seven-time world champion is in Nanjing this week for the International Championship. A 6-2 win over He Guoqiang got him into the third round on Monday, before he suffered a shock defeat in the last 32 on Tuesday, losing 6-4 to rising Chinese star Pang Junxu. Widely regarded as one of the greatest snooker... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3285293/ronnie-osullivan-continues-chinese-love-affair-says-country-greatest-place-earth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3285293/ronnie-osullivan-continues-chinese-love-affair-says-country-greatest-place-earth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:30:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial A series of aggressive recruitment drives by the government has enriched Hong Kong’s talent pool in recent years. The latest to take up residency is seven-time snooker world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. But while the city continues to appeal to celebrities and their like, many more who have arrived are struggling to secure jobs. In addition to widening the search for talent, greater effort is also required to retain them. Describing Hong Kong as a “great place to live” in a video released by the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3284894/hong-kong-cannot-afford-lose-talent-it-wins-over-snooker-great-ronnie-osullivan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3284894/hong-kong-cannot-afford-lose-talent-it-wins-over-snooker-great-ronnie-osullivan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:00:14 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Snooker’s world No 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan said he had no complaints with last month’s criticised exhibition event in Hong Kong, while China’s Ding Junhui expressed his interest in joining any future tournament in the city. The Hong Kong Snooker All-Star Challenge at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, which featured O’Sullivan and a host of other leading players, was marred by chaos that included fans paying HK$3,380 for top-level tickets that did not give them a view of the table. However, speaking during... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3260471/ronnie-osullivan-says-good-event-hong-kong-despite-ticket-fiasco-and-chinas-ding-junhui-wants-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3260471/ronnie-osullivan-says-good-event-hong-kong-despite-ticket-fiasco-and-chinas-ding-junhui-wants-play?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:30:18 +0000 World snooker champion Luca Brecel has said during a visit to Hong Kong that he is relishing playing in China again – with September’s Shanghai Masters top of his wish list. The four-time ranking tournament winner also said he hoped to play at the Hong Kong Masters if last year’s event were to be repeated. “The Belgian Bullet” was on a personal tour when he met young local players and media at the General Snooker Club in Hong Kong’s To Kwa Wan district on Friday – but is already looking forward... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3228599/snooker-world-champion-luca-brecel-reveals-shanghai-ambition-during-hong-kong-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3228599/snooker-world-champion-luca-brecel-reveals-shanghai-ambition-during-hong-kong-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jul 2023 13:10:57 +0000 Marco Fu Ka-chun said he was targeting a return to the world’s top 64 and a place at the Crucible next year after been awarded an invitational place on the World Snooker Tour. The Hongkonger will get to spend at least the next two years among the elite of the game having endured some tough times, with eye surgery and the coronavirus pandemic interrupting his career between 2018 and 2022. Fu’s enjoyed his first full year back last season, which despite the high of the reaching the final of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3220643/hong-kongs-marco-fu-targets-return-crucible-after-being-handed-invitational-card-world-snooker-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3220643/hong-kongs-marco-fu-targets-return-crucible-after-being-handed-invitational-card-world-snooker-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2023 13:24:00 +0000 Snooker in the city has received a belated New Year’s gift, with the Hong Kong Sports Institute extending its “Tier A” status until March 2025. With their funding set to be cut in April, the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council (HKBSCC) was told on Wednesday it had been given a two-year extension as an elite sport because of the postponement of the Asian Games in Hangzhou. HKBSCC chairman Vincent Law Wing-chung said the move was encouraging but added that he hoped the Sports Commission... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3205576/snooker-gets-stay-execution-funding-cuts-hong-kong-sports-institute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3205576/snooker-gets-stay-execution-funding-cuts-hong-kong-sports-institute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jan 2023 11:45:27 +0000 Two months after the Hong Kong Masters set a world record with more than 8,500 fans attending the final, the government dealt snooker a huge blow by prohibiting under 16s from entering billiard premises after 8pm, with Marco Fu Ka-chun condemning the move in a scathing social media post. Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, the lawmaker representing the sports functional constituency, asked earlier this week whether authorities would consider relaxing the time limit for young people under 16 years old to enter... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3202810/hong-kong-ace-marco-fu-blasts-government-over-refusal-lift-ban-under-16s-snooker-halls-after-8pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3202810/hong-kong-ace-marco-fu-blasts-government-over-refusal-lift-ban-under-16s-snooker-halls-after-8pm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Dec 2022 03:36:03 +0000 Three sports facing funding cuts in April are set to be given a stay of execution for one more year, with the government planning to push back a planned review following the postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games. Cue sports, gymnastics and tennis were all set to be demoted to “Tier B” programmes at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in the new financial year, having not met the required results to continue in the elite Tier A bracket. But it is believed the government is now likely to start its... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3196393/snooker-gets-stay-execution-funding-cuts-hong-kong-government-set-delay-sports-review?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3196393/snooker-gets-stay-execution-funding-cuts-hong-kong-government-set-delay-sports-review?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Oct 2022 00:15:13 +0000 The successful staging of the Hong Kong Masters snooker tournament last weekend marked a welcome return to the city for international sport. It was the first major sports event to be hosted in Hong Kong since the pandemic began. Fans were treated to a thrilling contest, with the highlight a maximum 147 break from local hero Marco Fu Ka-chun. The achievement, which saw Fu secure a place in the final, literally had the crowd on its feet. The tournament, last held in 2017, set a world record for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195625/snooker-drama-gives-hong-kong-break-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195625/snooker-drama-gives-hong-kong-break-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2022 01:00:11 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Ronnie O’Sullivan has declared the Hong Kong Masters to be the “new benchmark” in snooker and told organisers of British tournaments they should aim to replicate it. The seven-time and reigning world champion claimed the Hong Kong title on Sunday by defeating local star Marco Fu Ka-chun, but was equally keen to celebrate the statement made by Hong Kong and his sport. World-record crowds three days running at Hong Kong Coliseum, culminating in over 8,000 for Sunday’s final, created an atmosphere... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195496/hong-kong-masters-ronnie-osullivan-says-it-changed-snooker-marco-fu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195496/hong-kong-masters-ronnie-osullivan-says-it-changed-snooker-marco-fu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:30:22 +0000 As the players return home after snooker’s Hong Kong Masters, here is a selection of the quotes of the week. “At some events in the UK, you can get a bit bored and maybe not want to be there. When you land here, it’s spectacular, the people are intelligent, it makes you feel good.” – Judd Trump turns on the charm. “Hong Kong people must’ve found this very difficult the last few years. We have to wear face masks and it brings back bad memories.” – John Higgins arrives from a rather different... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195464/hong-kong-masters-snooker-stars-give-verdicts-jogging-fantasy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195464/hong-kong-masters-snooker-stars-give-verdicts-jogging-fantasy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Oct 2022 10:35:27 +0000 Seven absorbing sessions, more than 20,000 spectators in total, one 147, a rather high-profile Covid-19 case and zero calories: the numbers tell a story of the Hong Kong Masters, for good or, in the case of Zhao Xintong, ill. It is a story of interest to Covid-watchers, China-dwellers and Hong Kong Sevens ticket holders, because the Masters was a staging post, a step forward for sport in the city, and one embraced by a snooker-mad and event-starved public. There was a wobble, with the withdrawal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195379/covid-scare-no-food-masks-tears-joy-what-snooker-masters-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195379/covid-scare-no-food-masks-tears-joy-what-snooker-masters-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Oct 2022 00:51:39 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell The final everyone had been hoping for may not have produced a champion from the realms of make-believe, but the bigger picture was still of a local triumph as the Hong Kong Masters reached a cacophonous climax on Sunday. There were to be no further miracles a day after Marco Fu Ka-chun reached baize perfection with a maximum break, world No 1 Ronnie O’Sullivan sweeping to a 6-4 success. Fu’s contribution, along with the colossal scale of the event, had nonetheless been sufficient to define an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195364/hong-kong-masters-ronnie-osullivan-beats-marco-fu-claim-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195364/hong-kong-masters-ronnie-osullivan-beats-marco-fu-claim-title?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Oct 2022 14:44:54 +0000 If there was already a hint of fairy tale about Marco Fu Ka-chun’s continued presence in the Hong Kong Masters, it passed indelibly into his hometown’s sporting legend on Saturday as he won his semi-final with a maximum break in the deciding frame. Fu almost blew the roof off the Hong Kong Coliseum as a 147 sealed his triumph over John Higgins in the most dramatic fashion, sending him into Sunday’s final, where he will face Ronnie O’Sullivan. Having fought back from the brink of defeat to level... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195291/hong-kong-masters-home-favourite-marco-fu-wins-semi-final-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195291/hong-kong-masters-home-favourite-marco-fu-wins-semi-final-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Oct 2022 09:11:36 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell After the warm-up acts, the main event. Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ng On-yee got the Hong Kong Masters into full swing on Friday evening, drawing a crowd of over 5,000 to set the world record that had been forecast. O’Sullivan had begun the week tentatively trying beginner-level Cantonese at Ng’s direction in their hotel, but was far more assertive as he gave a snooker demonstration for the Hong Kong Coliseum to progress to a semi-final with Neil Robertson. If the previous day, with its sparser... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195181/hong-kong-masters-mark-williams-makes-light-jet-lag-push-neil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195181/hong-kong-masters-mark-williams-makes-light-jet-lag-push-neil?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Oct 2022 08:46:20 +0000 Marco Fu Ka-chun gave hometown fans the start they wanted at the Hong Kong Masters on Thursday in an opening match seemingly precision-engineered for the organisers, before Judd Trump and John Higgins ratcheted up the excitement. Facing four-time world champion Mark Selby in the first quarter-final, Fu – who has slipped to 100th in the rankings after barely playing during the pandemic – was fluid and assured in a 5-2 win. But Selby said afterwards that he “didn’t think I could ever win that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195035/hong-kong-masters-starts-bang-marco-fu-wins-opener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3195035/hong-kong-masters-starts-bang-marco-fu-wins-opener?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Oct 2022 08:11:57 +0000 As snooker stars align for this week’s Hong Kong Masters, the world’s leading players are relishing an occasion set to draw a record-breaking audience, and eager to return to mainland China, too – provided it opens up. Eight of the best will take to the baize from Thursday at the 10,000-seat Hong Kong Coliseum, which can be filled to 85 per cent capacity under Covid-19 regulations and was 90 per cent sold out as of Wednesday. That could pull in snooker’s biggest ever crowd for Hong Kong’s first... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3194964/hong-kong-masters-expects-world-record-crowd-quarantine-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3194964/hong-kong-masters-expects-world-record-crowd-quarantine-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:15:12 +0000 The Hong Kong Masters snooker tournament is already a man down before it starts on Thursday after Zhao Xintong of China returned a positive Covid-19 test overnight. Zhao was withdrawn from the tournament when he received his test result late on Wednesday, and will be replaced by Mark Williams. He had been scheduled to face Neil Robertson on Thursday evening, but the following afternoon’s match between John Higgins and Judd Trump has been brought forward to fill their slot. Robertson will now... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3194971/covid-19-strikes-hong-kong-masters-snooker-event-day-one-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3194971/covid-19-strikes-hong-kong-masters-snooker-event-day-one-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Oct 2022 21:10:31 +0000 The world’s top snooker players have arrived for the Hong Kong Masters, just as organisers won approval for an exemption from Covid-19 rules that they insisted would not repeat the Nicole Kidman controversy. City snooker chiefs said exempting the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan from the rules normally applied to incoming travellers was different from last year’s Kidman episode – when the government’s decision to allow the Australian actress to skip quarantine caused a major backlash among... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3194823/not-nicole-kidman-snooker-stars-arriving-hong-kong-masters-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3194823/not-nicole-kidman-snooker-stars-arriving-hong-kong-masters-can?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Oct 2022 23:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s Ng On-yee has been knocked out of the British Open, but 11 mainland Chinese players stayed in the hunt and Ng’s mixed-doubles partner Judd Trump moved closer to becoming world No 1 before he heads to next week’s Hong Kong Masters. No 2-ranked Trump has got off to a flying start in Milton Keynes, the same venue as last weekend’s inaugural World Mixed Doubles. Having already defeated China’s Si Jiahui 4-1 in the first round, which included a clearance of 139 in the second frame, Trump... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3194219/british-open-china-has-glut-contenders-while-judd-trump-could-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3194219/british-open-china-has-glut-contenders-while-judd-trump-could-go?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Sep 2022 05:52:24 +0000 Ng On-yee will return to blazing her own trail this week at the British Open, after the World Mixed Doubles put women’s snooker in the spotlight to great effect over the weekend. Hong Kong’s Ng and her playing partner Judd Trump, both ranked second in the world in their respective categories, were unable to reach the mixed-doubles final on Sunday after losing their final round-robin match 4-0 to eventual winners Neil Robertson and Mink Nutcharut. Robertson and current women’s world champion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3193866/ng-yee-only-woman-snookers-british-open-after-world-mixed-doubles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3193866/ng-yee-only-woman-snookers-british-open-after-world-mixed-doubles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Sep 2022 11:16:17 +0000 Ng On-yee handled the pressure to overcome Ronnie O’Sullivan and Reanne Evans, the world’s No 1 men’s and women’s players, as she and partner Judd Trump put themselves in contention at the inaugural World Mixed Doubles on Saturday in England. Ng and Trump found themselves trailing 31-60 in the third frame in Milton Keynes. But Ng made a break of 33 to win it, and they went on to beat the multiple-time world champions 3-1. “I feel like the clearance in the third frame was really good. There was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3193744/ng-yee-judd-trump-hunt-snookers-historic-world-mixed-doubles-where?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3193744/ng-yee-judd-trump-hunt-snookers-historic-world-mixed-doubles-where?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Sep 2022 10:08:21 +0000 The scrapping of Hong Kong’s hotel quarantine policy for incoming travellers has been welcomed by officials behind the Hong Kong Masters, the city’s flagship snooker event which will return next month. But they still have matters to raise with the government, because some of the world’s leading players could yet be restricted despite the sweeping changes announced on Friday. Arrivals under the new “0+3” plan will only be required to go through three days of home medical surveillance, with their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3193639/quarantine-changes-could-spare-snooker-stars-closed-loop-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3193639/quarantine-changes-could-spare-snooker-stars-closed-loop-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Sep 2022 23:30:10 +0000 The Rugby Sevens and a major snooker tournament are expected to go ahead in Hong Kong as planned, but a decision on holding the city’s biggest annual marathon will have to take into account the Covid-19 risks the event poses to the public, the sports minister has said. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Saturday said the nature of the Hong Kong Masters snooker tournament and the “closed-loop” management of Rugby Sevens players would allow lower transmission... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3192063/hong-kong-sports-minister-confident-rugby-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3192063/hong-kong-sports-minister-confident-rugby-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Sep 2022 07:41:58 +0000 The government-run system selling tickets for the Hong Kong Masters has been slammed by the city’s snooker chiefs, who said it was outdated and unfit for world-class events after touts bought large quantities of seats. Tickets for the Masters, which will take place at Hong Kong Coliseum between October 6 and 9, swamped the black market before they went on sale, with final seats selling for HK$2,000, nearly four times the official price. Once the total of 28,600 seats were available on Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3192031/hong-kong-governments-ticket-system-slammed-angry-snooker-boss-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3192031/hong-kong-governments-ticket-system-slammed-angry-snooker-boss-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Sep 2022 01:00:28 +0000 Tickets for the 2022 Hong Kong Masters were in huge demand after going on sale on Wednesday morning, with top-tier seats selling out in two hours – but snooker chiefs fear they may have ended up in the hands of scalpers. World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has been announced as the headline attraction of the four-day tournament, which is set to get under way on October 6 at the 8,000-capacity Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom. Tickets for the flagship event, which was last held in 2017 at Queen... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3191701/hong-kong-masters-snooker-tickets-flood-black-market-high-end-seats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3191701/hong-kong-masters-snooker-tickets-flood-black-market-high-end-seats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Sep 2022 11:44:34 +0000 Tickets for the 2022 Hong Kong Masters appear to be flooding the black market before they even go on sale, with organisers urging fans not to snap them up. The city’s flagship snooker tournament is set to return in October with a “closed loop” system in place for its star-studded line-up of players, including world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Mark Selby. Tickets will be officially made available for the public to buy from 10am on Wednesday through the Leisure and Cultural... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3191523/hong-kong-masters-2022-snooker-tickets-surface-black-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3191523/hong-kong-masters-2022-snooker-tickets-surface-black-market?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Sep 2022 08:07:36 +0000 Organisers of snooker’s Hong Kong Masters have unveiled the line-up for the tournament and said it has government permission to proceed in October under a “closed loop” arrangement. Snooker bosses held a press conference on Friday to announce their latest plans, which include the players remaining in a bubble between their hotel and tournament venue the Hong Kong Coliseum, instead of undergoing the hotel quarantine usually required for arrivals in the city. Current world champion Ronnie... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3190251/hong-kong-masters-snooker-will-it-get-government-nod-proceed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3190251/hong-kong-masters-snooker-will-it-get-government-nod-proceed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Aug 2022 04:26:06 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Ronnie O’Sullivan plans to take a two-month break from snooker to let a “really bad” arm injury heal, and he is targeting October’s Hong Kong Masters for his comeback. Snooker officials confirmed the return of the tournament last month, with eight of the world’s best players to be invited in a move designed the show the city is “back for business”. Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan is one of the players who has been targeted by Vincent Law Wing-chung, chairman of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3188837/ronnie-osullivan-targets-hong-kong-masters-return-really-bad-arm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3188837/ronnie-osullivan-targets-hong-kong-masters-return-really-bad-arm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Aug 2022 06:14:40 +0000 The Hong Kong Masters will be a “mega sporting event” where spectators can get close to the stars of the game if organisers have their way. Officials announced on Monday that the event had been added to the World Snooker Tour calendar for October, and Vincent Law Wing-chung, chairman of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council, said an event “without spectators would be pointless”. In a change to previous years, the tournament will be held in the Hong Kong Coliseum for the first time. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3184869/snooker-officials-confirm-return-hong-kong-masters-october-8?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3184869/snooker-officials-confirm-return-hong-kong-masters-october-8?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Jul 2022 08:14:55 +0000 Hong Kong has had to abandon the idea of the world’s best snooker players coming to play in the city in August – but the updated plan is to proceed in October, in what could set a precedent for staging other events including the Hong Kong Sevens. The bid to revive the Hong Kong Masters tournament next month proved impossible under the city’s current Covid-19 border restrictions, with organisers running out of time to clarify logistics, such as trying to gain exemptions from quarantine for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3184362/hong-kong-border-controls-force-snooker-event-try-again-october?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3184362/hong-kong-border-controls-force-snooker-event-try-again-october?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jul 2022 23:45:10 +0000 Shirley Chui Shirley Chui The elite of world snooker including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Mark Selby have been invited to play in Hong Kong this August – subject to the city’s government giving the all-clear. Organisers are seeking approval to stage the Hong Kong Masters from August 4 to 7, and have already sounded out the top players. Its feasibility and success could depend on Covid-19 prevention measures in Hong Kong, where tight travel restrictions remain in place and those playing indoor sport have been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3177195/ronnie-osullivan-hong-kong-august-it-could-happen-if-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3177195/ronnie-osullivan-hong-kong-august-it-could-happen-if-government?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 May 2022 09:32:47 +0000 Snooker bosses in Hong Kong are hoping to bring back the Hong Kong Masters after a five-year absence, but said the city’s Covid-19 policies held the key to its success. The Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council has put up a tender on its website to invite interested parties to organise the tournament, with a tentative date of August 3 to 7. However, it notes that could change because of the government’s social-distancing measures aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic. Just as in 2017,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3172612/snooker-bosses-target-summer-return-hong-kong-masters-after-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3172612/snooker-bosses-target-summer-return-hong-kong-masters-after-5?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:30:15 +0000 Organisers of the city’s first world-class women’s tournament are hoping a successful inaugural edition would pave the way for an eventual upgrade to a ranking event. The top four players in the world – England’s Reanne Evans, Hong Kong’s Ng On-yee, Rebecca Kenna and Thai star Nutcharut Wongharuthai – head the field for the Hong Kong World Women’s Masters from October 10-13 in Lai Chi Kok. Evans and Ng said they were excited about playing in Hong Kong, which last year hosted an Asian tournament... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3030845/reanne-evans-ng-yee-eye-inaugural-hong-kong-world-womens-masters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3030845/reanne-evans-ng-yee-eye-inaugural-hong-kong-world-womens-masters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Sep 2019 10:33:08 +0000 Australia’s former world champion Neil Robertson defeated home star Marco Fu Ka-chun in the Hong Kong Masters – and then apologised to the crowd for ending the local hero’s run in the tournament on Saturday. “Rocket” Ronnie O’Sullivan edged fellow Englishman Judd Trump 6-5 in the other semi-final. Roberton and Fu have played on numerous occasions with the Hong Kong star beating the 2010 world champion in the Australian’s home turf in the final of the Australian Goldfields Open in 2013. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2103732/sorry-hong-kong-neil-robertson-ends-local-star-marco-fus-run-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2103732/sorry-hong-kong-neil-robertson-ends-local-star-marco-fus-run-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jul 2017 10:54:02 +0000 “The Rocket” Ronnie O’Sullivan blasted off the blocks but had to endure a tantalising and closely fought final frame to edge Scotland’s John Higgins 5-4 and reach Saturday’s semi-finals of the Hong Kong Masters. In the battle between two former world champions, five-time world title holder O’Sullivan blew hot and cold at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, leading 2-0 before Higgins, a four-time former world champion, got his game together in the best-of-nine-frame encounter. The Wizard of Wishaw... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2103670/osullivan-survives-nail-biter-book-hong-kong-masters-semi-berth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2103670/osullivan-survives-nail-biter-book-hong-kong-masters-semi-berth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jul 2017 15:15:20 +0000 Eight of the world’s best snooker players will make the trip to Hong Kong alongside two legends of the sport to participate in a tournament marking the 20th anniversary of the territory’s historic handover in July. Seven of the top eight ranked players plus crowd favourite and five-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will participate in the July event it was announced at a media conference on Monday. Reigning world champion and number one ranked Mark Selby will also compete at the Queen... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2099004/stellar-lineup-including-rocket-ronnie-and-world-no-1-selby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2099004/stellar-lineup-including-rocket-ronnie-and-world-no-1-selby?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jun 2017 08:38:51 +0000