https://www.scmp.com/rss/37686/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com During China’s 6-0 opening game win over East Timor at the Asian Games, Zhang Yuan scored China’s second goal and afterwards he removed a shin guard to show to the camera. The reason was because it bears the image of his childhood friend and former teammate Wang Renlong, who collapsed during training with Dalian Transcendence on November 12, 2014 and died later in hospital. Both players had played youth football together in Dalian, but Zhang, 21, has since moved to Chinese Super League side... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2159879/asian-games-2018-chinese-player-dedicates-goal-east-timor-win-childhood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2159879/asian-games-2018-chinese-player-dedicates-goal-east-timor-win-childhood?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Aug 2018 10:23:19 +0000 Qatar’s basketball team can boast just one player above six-foot tall in their Asian Games line-up. Hong Kong have nine. Still, the Middle Eastern country proved too strong as they ran out 90-80 winners in their opening Asian Games group C clash in Jakarta on Tuesday. With the Games still three days from its official opening, Hong Kong can already sense an early exit, though they will take heart from an impressive fourth quarter that came too late to undo the damage. Lau Tsz-lai scored 12 of his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159715/asian-games-2018-size-doesnt-matter-shorter-qatar-defeat-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159715/asian-games-2018-size-doesnt-matter-shorter-qatar-defeat-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Aug 2018 13:30:45 +0000 For Hong Kong’s Kenneth To King-him, the Asian Games will have added significance as he makes his debut at the multi-sport competition – and he can’t wait. Without doubt, it’s the biggest event the 26-year-old To will be competing in after returning to the land of his birth two years ago having spent most of his career making a name for himself in Australia. Before he decided to switch allegiances, he earned high praise Down Under for winning a World Championship silver medal in Barcelona in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159302/ill-be-ready-asian-games-says-kenneth-after-clocking-4963-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159302/ill-be-ready-asian-games-says-kenneth-after-clocking-4963-seconds?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Aug 2018 13:00:30 +0000 A defibrillator, one of 263 being used in land-based venues around Hong Kong, probably saved the life of former Hong Kong swimmer and aspiring actor Dickson Yu Tak-shing, who regained consciousness on Friday night. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) confirmed that a defibrillator had been used on Yu when the aspiring TV actor collapsed and fell into unconsciousness while playing football at Sai Ying Pun on Wednesday night. According to a statement released by the LCSD, first aid... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159236/defibrillator-probably-saved-life-former-hong-kong-swimmer-aspiring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159236/defibrillator-probably-saved-life-former-hong-kong-swimmer-aspiring?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Aug 2018 13:00:15 +0000 A former Hong Kong swimmer and aspiring TV actor is fighting for his life after falling into a coma while playing football with friends on Wednesday night. Dickson Yu Tak-shing, who was considered a fringe member of the Hong Kong swimming squad in 2015, complained of feeling unwell during the kickabout. The 28-year-old rested on the grass by the playing pitch at Sai Ying Pun before friends called an ambulance when he appeared to have lost consciousness. He was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159000/former-hong-kong-swimmer-and-actor-dickson-yu-fighting-his-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2159000/former-hong-kong-swimmer-and-actor-dickson-yu-fighting-his-life?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Aug 2018 08:53:57 +0000 Two-time junior Asian triathlon champion Oscar Coggins is not eligible for this month’s Asian Games because of hold-ups in switching his British passport for a Hong Kong one, but recent competition results suggest the delays may be a blessing in disguise. Hong Kong-born Coggins, 18, claimed his first senior competition win at the Asian Cup in Kazakhstan over the weekend, a remarkable feat for his age and a huge boost for his 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualification campaign. “It’s an amazing feeling to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2158742/hong-kong-triathlon-prodigy-shrugs-asian-games-passport-misery-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2158742/hong-kong-triathlon-prodigy-shrugs-asian-games-passport-misery-first?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Aug 2018 03:09:47 +0000 From the Olympic Games to the World Cup soccer tournament, Hongkongers fret about being unable to watch live broadcasts for free. To the relief of many, Cable TV has stepped in at the last minute amid growing worries over the coverage of the Asian Games next month. Given the issue crops up from time to time, it is worth exploring whether the government can play a role in resolving it. It would be regrettable if we were to miss out on the Asian Games. Our 700-strong delegation to Indonesia is the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2157518/government-has-role-play-broadcasting-some-sports-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2157518/government-has-role-play-broadcasting-some-sports-events?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jul 2018 12:04:54 +0000 Windsurfer Hayley Chan Hei-man considered retirement after failing to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, but now the oldest member of the Hong Kong squad has put the disappointment behind her and is setting her sights on a third straight Asian Games medal. “I thought I would have gone back to school after missing the Rio Olympics,” said the 27-year-old, who captured one silver and one gold at the past two Asian Games respectively. “In fact, I have completed one semester only since being... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2156679/2018-asian-games-offers-new-hope-hong-kong-windsurfer-hayley-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2156679/2018-asian-games-offers-new-hope-hong-kong-windsurfer-hayley-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:07:43 +0000 She was a one-time track and field star and a top rower who represented Hong Kong at the highest level, but when her impressive athletics career came to an end, Malina Ngai Man-lin wasn’t sure what she would do after sport. But after more than 20 years after hanging up her rowing oars with a bronze medal at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games, Ngai is sure glad she made the right move. Reflecting on her post-sports career, the former all-round athlete, can safely say she has not only made the big... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2156234/how-asian-games-medallist-malina-ngai-reached-top-corporate-ladder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2156234/how-asian-games-medallist-malina-ngai-reached-top-corporate-ladder?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jul 2018 01:00:33 +0000 After winning both the men’s and women’s Asian squash team championships in South Korea earlier this year, Hong Kong head coach Chris Robertson insists it is time for his players to cement themselves as the continent’s finest at the upcoming Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. “We’ve put ourselves in the shop window for Asian squash,” said former world number two Robertson, who joined the set-up one year ago after seven years as England coach. “We [also] medalled at the world men’s championship... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2154864/hong-kong-shop-window-asian-squash-says-confident-coach-ahead-2018?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2154864/hong-kong-shop-window-asian-squash-says-confident-coach-ahead-2018?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jul 2018 11:54:51 +0000 Upcoming fencer Coco Lin Yik-hei has apologised after a doping incident almost ruined her dream of competing in the Asian Games in Indonesia this summer. Lin was part of the Hong Kong women’s team that took silver after losing a nail-biter to China 35-34 in the final of the women’s épée at the Asian Fencing Championships in Bangkok on Friday night. After spraining her right ankle in April, Lin enlisted the services of a bonesetter to accelerate her recovery, a move that proved more negative than... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2152094/hong-kong-fencer-coco-lin-apologises-after-traditional-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2152094/hong-kong-fencer-coco-lin-apologises-after-traditional-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jun 2018 12:20:49 +0000 Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Son Heung-min has been named the Best Footballer in Asia by Chinese magazine Titan Sports for the third time ahead of what could be a busy summer for the South Korean. The 25-year-old has won the award for three out of its five years, adding the 2017 title to those of 2014 and 2015 which he won while at German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. The title is the Asian equivalent of France Football’s Ballon d’Or, picked by journalists from players who represent clubs in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2143463/son-takes-best-footballer-asia-crown-third-time-coach-says-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2143463/son-takes-best-footballer-asia-crown-third-time-coach-says-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Apr 2018 04:51:08 +0000 “Me Too” hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu will miss the opening series of the 2018 season this weekend, not because of her reported sexual assault case, but due to a knee problem, her coach said. The 23-year-old Chinese University student has not been seen in competition since she claimed on her birthday in November that she was harassed by her former coach 10 years ago. Lui, who won the 60-metre hurdles gold medal at the Asian Indoor Games in September, is one of the few top athletes who will not... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2134281/metoo-vera-luis-no-show-continues-leading-hong-kong-hurdler-misses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2134281/metoo-vera-luis-no-show-continues-leading-hong-kong-hurdler-misses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Feb 2018 07:17:52 +0000 “Life is so much easier in the virtual world,” says 18-year-old former video game addict, Thomas Chan. “I can make friends without having to deal with the awkwardness of face-to-face communications. I have so much more confidence from winning a game than in real life where everyone at school is so competitive. “More importantly, the computer is always there for me.” Chan, who skipped school for 18 months to play video games when he was 16, is not alone in his video game obsession. But what many... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2131654/why-taking-video-games-another-level-can-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2131654/why-taking-video-games-another-level-can-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Feb 2018 05:01:04 +0000 When Nanjing Communist Party chief Yang Weize told a press conference earlier this month the Jiangsu capital was interested in hosting the 2019 Asian Games after Vietnam withdrew, he exuded absolute confidence. To Yang's surprise, the idea was met with a wave of online criticism. Commentators sarcastically suggested the party commence a pre-emptive anti-graft investigating of the confident Nanjing chief. In the eyes of some taxpayers, senior officials tasked with managing such events always end... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1522227/nanjing-should-think-twice-bidding-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1522227/nanjing-should-think-twice-bidding-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2014 18:37:12 +0000 Former captain Mark Wright and playmaker Keith Robertson have made themselves available for Hong Kong's Asian Games sevens campaign in Incheon, South Korea, in September. The return of the two stalwarts will go some way to making up for the absence of three key players - Nick Hewson, Lee Jones and Ben Rimene - who do not have SAR passports or permanent ID cards as they have not yet been resident for seven years. They also do not fall into the category of athletes the Hong Kong Olympic Committee... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1512187/wright-and-robertson-boost-hong-kongs-asian-games-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1512187/wright-and-robertson-boost-hong-kongs-asian-games-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2014 13:30:15 +0000 Point-scoring issues that have dogged the Hong Kong triathlon squad in its bid to retain its elite-sport status at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) seem set to become a thing of the past. The newly motivated squad have bagged a number of medals in recent events, and will race in Japan before doing a quick turnaround and heading to Kazakhstan for more opportunities. Patrick Kelly, who took over as head coach last September, has breathed new life into the team with a revamped training... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1261768/hong-kong-triathlon-squad-newly-motivated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1261768/hong-kong-triathlon-squad-newly-motivated?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Against the odds, the Hong Kong women's cricket team have qualified for next year's Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Hong Kong, despite missing four or five of their best players, finished fourth at the Asian Cricket Council Women's Championship in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last week to secure a place at the Asian Games, which will feature cricket for only the second time. "It was a really good effort considering that we were without a number of our top players," said Hong Kong coach Charlie... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1144785/hong-kong-womens-cricket-team-beats-odds-qualify-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1144785/hong-kong-womens-cricket-team-beats-odds-qualify-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 What is with all these cyclists? It seems that those who ride professionally cannot get on their bikes without a jab of a performance-enhancing substance. Hong Kong had its own "Lance Armstrong" case this past week when it emerged that Asian Games gold medallist Steven Wong had tested positive for drugs and had been banned for two years by the international governing body of cycling. In the wake of the Armstrong saga, the news that a Hong Kong athlete, too, had been tested positive didn't really... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1136752/left-field-wong-makes-us-all-look-dopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1136752/left-field-wong-makes-us-all-look-dopes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong cyclist Steven Wong will not be stripped of his Asian Games gold medal and the HK$400,000 reward he received for it after it emerged yesterday that he failed a doping test last year. "It happened after he quit the Hong Kong team and joined professional cycling," said Hong Kong Olympic Committee honorary secretary Pang Chung yesterday. "It has nothing to do with the gold medal he won at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010 and we will not take any further action unless new evidence... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1133243/wong-wont-lose-games-gold-after-failing-doping-test-professional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1133243/wong-wont-lose-games-gold-after-failing-doping-test-professional?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Many of the bigwigs on the Olympic Council of Asia executive board - 37 to be exact - didn't return home straight after the end of the 31st general assembly in Macau. Instead, they made a detour through Nansha in Guangzhou, where they attended the extended wedding nuptials yesterday of former China diving queen Guo Jingjing and Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, eldest son of Hong Kong Olympic chief Timothy Fok Tsun-ting. It would have offered Tim Fok an excellent opportunity to canvas for the views of his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1079522/left-field-2023-asian-games-look-out-reach-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1079522/left-field-2023-asian-games-look-out-reach-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong should bid for the 2023 Asian Games, a senior sports official said after the Olympic Council of Asia decided the host city for the 2019 Games yesterday. The vice president of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, Vivien Lau Chiang-chu, said: "We will have all sports infrastructure, including the Kai Tak sports hub, ready by 2023 and, timing-wise, it will just be perfect." Lau, who represented Hong Kong at yesterday's 31st general assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia, said: "If we stage... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1078033/bring-asian-games-hong-kong-2023-says-top-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1078033/bring-asian-games-hong-kong-2023-says-top-official?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A joint-city bid for the 2023 Asian Games was ruled out by the head of the Olympic Council of Asia yesterday after Hanoi was declared the winner of the 2019 edition, defeating Indonesia's Surabaya in a tight race. There were suggestions from certain sections of the OCA previously that a joint bid by Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen for the 2023 Games might be attractive and cost-saving. But Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, the OCA president, said preference would always be given to a single... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1078034/joint-city-bids-ruled-out-oca-hanoi-wins-asian-games-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1078034/joint-city-bids-ruled-out-oca-hanoi-wins-asian-games-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Veteran Wong Kam-po said he has no regrets about calling time on his 20-year-plus cycling career, as he finished his last competitive race in the Tour of Taihu in Jiangsu yesterday. Wong, who will turn 40 in March, said he had gained much more than he had lost as a professional rider. "I have little to complain about," said Wong. "I had the support of a lot people for so many years so I could achieve a lot of good results. I have also learned a lot through the sport. Absolutely, I have no... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1078030/wong-kam-po-bows-out-cycling-after-two-decades-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1078030/wong-kam-po-bows-out-cycling-after-two-decades-top?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hanoi has emerged as favourite to win today's Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) vote to host the 2019 Asian Games, the second-largest multi-sports games next to the Olympics, which Hong Kong thumbed its nose at and turned down the opportunity to contest. The Vietnamese capital is competing against Dubai and Surabaya in Indonesia. Forty-five countries and territories have gathered in Macau for the 31st OCA general assembly for the vote. It seems, however, that Hanoi has grabbed the inside track... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1077278/hanoi-expected-be-voted-host-2019-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1077278/hanoi-expected-be-voted-host-2019-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 At last, champions of Asia. Even if it is only seven-a-side rugby, Hong Kong's triumph at a former bastion of British colonialism, the Bombay Gymkhana Club, last Sunday is long overdue. Once an exclusive British-only club which has the distinction of hosting India's first test cricket match in 1933, the Bombay Gymkhana will go down in Hong Kong rugby history as venerated soil, for it was there that Japan's imperious reign as Asian champions ended. One of the premier sporting arenas in Mumbai,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1065853/left-field-lets-put-rugby-eggs-one-basket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1065853/left-field-lets-put-rugby-eggs-one-basket?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 She can speak Cantonese, Putonghua, French and German, but when Raena Leung Hou-ling whispers to her horse to urge him to find his flying feet, it is English she uses. Born in the United States, the multilingual Hong Kong showjumper has put on hold a career as a sports psychologist as she tries to crack the big time. "My heart told me to ride," says Leung as she reveals in horse-language her dreams of one day representing Hong Kong at the Asian Games, or even being selected to represent the city... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1065845/horse-whisperers-passion-jump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1065845/horse-whisperers-passion-jump?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Despite having some of the best training facilities in the world, the Hong Kong Triathlon Association is in danger of losing its elite funding status at the Sports Institute (HKSI) unless the national squad can win the required nine performance points over the next two years. New national coach Patrick Kelly believes Hong Kong has enough talent to score those all-important points, but said there were a few things lacking that could mean the difference between success and failure. "Two aspects... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1065847/triathlon-kellys-priority-preserving-elite-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1065847/triathlon-kellys-priority-preserving-elite-status?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Alvin Sallay's article about the positive effect of large-scale, one-off sporting events is plainly wrong ("A powerful glue to bind a nation", October 7), especially when he suggested Hong Kong should again consider bidding to host the Asian Games as a way to bring society together. Few large-scale, one-off sporting events ever have a lasting effect on the sponsoring country or city. The "feel good" effect is like an unexpected extension of "happy hour" for the revellers at a pub. But ask them a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1060403/sports-events-rarely-bring-host-cities-people-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1060403/sports-events-rarely-bring-host-cities-people-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The new Olympic discipline of kiteboarding has refused the hand of friendship from its "big brother", windsurfing, even though the latter enjoys all the financial support. Kiteboarding will controversially replace windsurfing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio but it is struggling to get public funding after talks to merge the two sailing classes broke down. Windsurfing is on the elite programme at the Sports Institute, has produced Hong Kong's only Olympic gold medallist and enjoys all the financial... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1034378/kiteboarders-turn-down-support-wealthier-windsurfer-brothers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1034378/kiteboarders-turn-down-support-wealthier-windsurfer-brothers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Even as Guangzhou struggles to pay off the huge debt left over from hosting the 2010 Asian Games, the city's spendthrift bureaucrats are already dreaming up new spending measures to boost the city's economy. Mayor Chen Jianhua told the Guangzhou People's Congress on Monday that the government was studying the feasibility of building a second airport, according to local media reports. The study comes even though work to expand the existing Baiyun International Airport in Huadu district is already... https://www.scmp.com/article/1008505/debt-laden-guangzhous-airport-plan-pie-sky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1008505/debt-laden-guangzhous-airport-plan-pie-sky?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000 There is no stage as grand or symbolically important as the Olympic Games. Those who awoke early today to watch London's impressive opening ceremony got a taste of that and will better appreciate it over the coming three weeks. With 10,343 athletes from 205 teams, it is the biggest sporting and cultural event, but it is about much more than the triumph of winning and the heartache of defeat. The Olympic spirit is about inspiration, healthy living, friendship, peace and unity - the fundamentals... https://www.scmp.com/article/1007911/olympic-spirit-goes-beyond-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1007911/olympic-spirit-goes-beyond-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's athletes were yesterday challenged to raise the bar as officials prepared to announce a squad of 41 for next month's London Olympics. The Hong Kong Olympic Committee has set June 29 as the deadline for respective sports to submit their list of qualifiers, but there is little doubt the number of Olympians will be the highest since a cap was introduced in 2000. Hong Kong sent 34 athletes to the Beijing Games four years ago and 32 to the 2004 Games in Athens. In 2000, the year in which... https://www.scmp.com/article/1004506/raise-bar-hk-athletes-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1004506/raise-bar-hk-athletes-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's Olympics chief, Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, yesterday called for the government to make an immediate and unequivocal commitment to building the Kai Tak sports hub before he could throw his weight behind a renewed attempt to host the 2023 Asian Games. 'Everyone keeps asking if we should make another bid for the Asian Games. Before I can do that, we need a firm commitment from the government that all the facilities will be in place by then,' Fok (pictured) said at a ceremony to mark the... https://www.scmp.com/article/998588/fok-wants-asian-games-backing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/998588/fok-wants-asian-games-backing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A fresh bid for the 2023 Asian Games would be considered again by the government if the sports community wished to pursue it, a senior official responsible for sports said. 'This is a matter for the SF&OC [Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee]. If they were to approach us with a proposal to make a bid, we would consider the pros and cons,' Jonathan McKinley, deputy secretary for Home Affairs (pictured), said yesterday. The Olympic Council of Asia this month urged Hong Kong to... https://www.scmp.com/article/993326/government-open-making-fresh-2023-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/993326/government-open-making-fresh-2023-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The Olympic Council of Asia wants Hong Kong to reconsider its decision and bid for the 2023 Asian Games, hinting a shared bid with Shenzhen and Macau would also be entertained. Husain Al-Musallam, director general and technical director of the council, said Hong Kong would be an outstanding candidate to host the Games and hoped the city would put in a bid. Last year, the Legislative Council voted against a motion for HK$6 billion in funding for a bid to host the 2023 showpiece. 'If Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/article/992116/hk-urged-reconsider-2023-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/992116/hk-urged-reconsider-2023-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Auditors have exposed a multibillion-yuan blowout in the operating budget for Guangzhou's Asian Games last year, as well as hundreds of other problems with organising the event - from venue tenders to construction failures. According to provincial audit figures posted on the Guangdong government website yesterday, the Games organisers went about 3 billion yuan (HK$3.7 billion) over the official 13.6 billion yuan budget detailed in March by Zhang Jieming , director of the Guangzhou Finance... https://www.scmp.com/article/986096/guangzhou-asian-games-were-hk37b-over-budget-say-auditors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/986096/guangzhou-asian-games-were-hk37b-over-budget-say-auditors?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 India's presence at the Asian Games is essential to make the tournament 'meaningful', Asian Cricket Council chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq says. The ACC head, one of many top overseas cricketing dignitaries and personalities feted by the Sixes this year, was confident that the Board of Control for Cricket in India would send a team for the next edition of the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014. India refused to send a team for the Twenty20 medal competition at last year's Asian... https://www.scmp.com/article/983432/india-essential-credibility-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983432/india-essential-credibility-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000 China to contest Jordan for Asian supremacy Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi inspired China to a 56-43 Asian basketball championship semi-final victory over South Korea yesterday, while giant-killing Jordan 75-61 booked their final place by seeing off the Philippines. China and Jordan will vie in today's final for the right to represent Asia in the 2012 London Olympics, while the silver and bronze medallists in the central Chinese city of Wuhan advance to the Olympic qualifying tournament.... https://www.scmp.com/article/980029/sport-digest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/980029/sport-digest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 In the process of hosting the 2010 Asian Games, Guangzhou has transformed itself into a fully modernised city, and Pearl River New City is the jewel in its crown. While residents and visitors alike flock to its new landmarks, a host of 5-star hotels have set up shop in the city's new central business district (CBD), making it the ideal spot for conferences, meetings, product launches and anything business in Guangzhou. Located in a gleaming new skyscraper on the south end of the CBD, the... https://www.scmp.com/article/978932/jewel-crown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/978932/jewel-crown?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The possibility of Pakistan playing their home games against Australia or England in Guangzhou has moved closer to reality. The China Cricket Association has signed a five-year agreement with the Guangdong University of Technology for the use of its international-class stadium built for last year's Asian Games. Ambitious plans by the Hong Kong Cricket Association to host one-day internationals across the border could bear fruit with the Guangdong International Cricket Stadium being made... https://www.scmp.com/article/972657/deal-use-stadium-boosts-test-cricket-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/972657/deal-use-stadium-boosts-test-cricket-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The government is forging ahead with a programme to spend HK$31.5 billion on sports facilities, despite the Legislative Council's refusal to support a bid for the 2023 Asian Games. While the authorities had indicated that they would invest the money regardless of the bidding outcome, many thought this would be scaled down after Legco in January rejected, by an overwhelming majority, a motion to bid for the Games. Instead, the government has embarked on its biggest investment to build and expand... https://www.scmp.com/article/970169/sports-billions-track-despite-asia-games-hiccup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/970169/sports-billions-track-despite-asia-games-hiccup?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Guangzhou residents have been concerned about the quality of beautification projects for last October's Asian Games for two years. Now it seems their nightmares are starting to come true. Widely reported has been a mass dying off of cotton trees. After being transplanted from other Pearl River Delta cities less than eight months ago, several dozen 30-50-year-old cotton trees, and other trees, have been found dead at Huangcheng Plaza, the city's new landmark. The dead trees were among about 600... https://www.scmp.com/article/969643/self-censorship-sensitive-issues-backwards-step?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/969643/self-censorship-sensitive-issues-backwards-step?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The Guangzhou government is locked in a debate over spending for the extravagant Asian Games after its treasurer rebutted an earlier claim that the city was in debt to the tune of 210 billion yuan (HK$248.5 billion). In the latest attempt at a fightback, Guangzhou Financial Bureau director Zhang Jieming called in local reporters and handed out a briefing with the headline 'Guangzhou is not 210 billion yuan in debt for organising the Asian Games' just to get his point across, The Southern... https://www.scmp.com/article/739831/city-finance-chief-defends-asian-games-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/739831/city-finance-chief-defends-asian-games-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Sars expert Dr Zhong Nanshan is now engaged in another war - against the mysteriously inflated budget for Guangzhou's Asian Games - after a local official denied his claim that the city had spent more than 250 billion yuan (HK$296 billion) on the event last year. Guangzhou Financial Bureau director Zhang Jieming was yesterday quoted as saying the operating budget for the Games was around 13.6 billion yuan and Zhong must have cited the wrong sources. It was the first time that a Guangzhou... https://www.scmp.com/article/739222/asian-games-did-not-cost-250b-yuan-official-insists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/739222/asian-games-did-not-cost-250b-yuan-official-insists?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 A newly opened subway station has raised eyebrows in Guangzhou by forcing passengers to buy an extra ticket to leave the station. Haixinsha station, on the Zhujiang New Town Automated People Mover line in the city's east, opened on Wednesday, but nearby residents found it less convenient than expected, the Guangzhou Daily reported. The station at present has only one exit, which opens directly into Haixinsha Park, a sports and performance venue built on the small island for last year's Asian... https://www.scmp.com/article/739220/rude-shock-users-new-subway-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/739220/rude-shock-users-new-subway-station?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Cyclist Wong Kam-po, who won a third Asian Games gold medal in Guangzhou, has emerged as the favourite for the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards after public voting closed yesterday. The 37-year-old led the public ballot, with snooker player Marco Fu Ka-chun in second place and another cyclist, BMX rider Steven Wong, in third. All three won golds in Guangzhou last November. Other athletes in the top 10 were Yip Pui-yin (badminton), Chan Siu-ki (soccer), Ng On-yee (snooker), Darryl O'Young... https://www.scmp.com/article/737305/golden-boy-wong-rides-high-public-vote?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/737305/golden-boy-wong-rides-high-public-vote?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 1999 May 12 Estimated funding of HK$1.92 billion for 2006 Asian Games bid approved by legislators November Government announces Hong Kong will bid for the 2006 Asian Games 2000 June 27 Hong Kong submits formal bid for hosting the Asian Games November 13 City loses bid for 2006 Asian Games 2010 January Motion initiated by Ip Kwok-him supporting a 2019 Asian Games bid passes in Legco March Timothy Fok Tsun-ting asks Asian Council of the Olympic Committee to postpone deadline for... https://www.scmp.com/article/735728/false-starts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/735728/false-starts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Former senior civil servant Eddy Chan Yuk-tak has resigned as head of the Asian Games bid team, a week before the bid goes to Legco's Finance Committee for funding. With his contract originally ending on January 28, Chan, 59, quit on Monday to take care of his family, the Home Affairs Bureau said. His father was reportedly injured in a fall. His post will be filled by his deputy, Jack Chan Jick-chi. The bid proposal will be put to the vote at the committee meeting next week. Meanwhile,... https://www.scmp.com/article/734900/asian-games-bid-team-chief-resigns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/734900/asian-games-bid-team-chief-resigns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 As 2011 begins, Guangzhou is enjoying a moment of peace after November's Asian Games and the Asian Para Games last month. Traffic restrictions have been lifted and security checks on the subway removed. But traces of the Games remain on the city's streets - and they are embarrassing. Guangzhou's budget for Games projects, including stadiums, roads and subway lines, was 122.6 billion yuan (HK$144.3 billion), though many believe the real cost was double that. Already, even the official budget is... https://www.scmp.com/article/734479/guangzhou-plays-poor-game-getting-it-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/734479/guangzhou-plays-poor-game-getting-it-right?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000