https://www.scmp.com/rss/4269/feed Mathew Scott is a Hong Kong-based journalist covering sports, cinema and culture while also working as a creative consultant. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mathew Scott Mathew Scott It’s been 14 years since he’s shaken the backboard in an NBA game, but Shaquille O’Neal still looms large – on billboards, social media feeds and in the purple and gold jerseys worn by fans who have made the trip from across China to Macau’s Cotai Strip. When America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) returned to China for the first time in over five years, the former Los Angeles Lakers star was front and centre. Not on the court, but as a business mogul, brand president and ambassador for... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3330888/shaquille-oneal-talks-martial-arts-films-friendship-and-doing-business-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3330888/shaquille-oneal-talks-martial-arts-films-friendship-and-doing-business-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Mathew Scott Mathew Scott Po Fung spent 20 years researching the life and times of the legendary martial arts master and medicine man Wong Fei-hung. But, “over the past century, his life has been added to, layer upon layer,” says Po, ahead of the 100th anniversary of Wong’s death this week, on April 17. “There are no real records, no recordings, not even a photo of him.” The no-photo claim is contested, and even the date of his passing has been called into question. What is not disputed, however, is the outsize effect... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3307052/jackie-chan-and-jet-li-played-kung-fu-hero-wong-fei-hung-film-whats-story-behind-legend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3307052/jackie-chan-and-jet-li-played-kung-fu-hero-wong-fei-hung-film-whats-story-behind-legend?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Not for nothing is the FIRST International Film Festival oft-referred to as “China’s Sundance”, after the legendary indie-cinema love-in, founded by Robert Redford and held every year in the US state of Utah. And like Sundance, you make your way to the city of Xining, in central China, if you want to catch up with the latest trends in Chinese independent cinema. Perhaps take in experimental films that reflect the issues facing the youth of today, maybe get a chance to mingle with some of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3276504/unstoppable-asias-first-female-ufc-champion-zhang-weilis-story-told-gripping-new-documentary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3276504/unstoppable-asias-first-female-ufc-champion-zhang-weilis-story-told-gripping-new-documentary?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 06:45:09 +0000 Andy Chang Wing-chung tells a story about how his mother likes to show off a photo that shows him – aged three – gaping in wonder down in the grandstand, there by the famed first corner, as the Macau Grand Prix screams past. Twenty-three years after that photo was taken, he found himself up there on the victory dais last year, having claimed the 2022 Macau Grand Prix for himself. “It was a dream come true,” says Chang. “Every time I watched the race I wondered what it would feel like, being on... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3240795/history-macau-grand-prix-its-champions-and-best-viewing-spots-and-how-it-improved-citys-criminal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3240795/history-macau-grand-prix-its-champions-and-best-viewing-spots-and-how-it-improved-citys-criminal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2023 23:45:11 +0000 While there was no victory to celebrate at the US$2 million Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open there were enough warning shots fired by Yin Ruoning and the China contingent to give their Asian Games rivals a fright with the countdown ticking away to next month’s tournament in Hangzhou. In the end, France’s Celine Boutier never really gave the field a hope at Dundonald Links on Sunday. She started the day three shots ahead and held the chasing pack at bay to win by two shots at 15-under-par 273... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3230186/chinas-asian-games-ladies-fire-warning-shots-attention-turns-hangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3230186/chinas-asian-games-ladies-fire-warning-shots-attention-turns-hangzhou?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2023 02:56:39 +0000 The boast from this week’s US$2 million Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open had been that the field includes the holders of every major title, but the windswept Dundonald Links pays little mind to reputation, or to form. Step out with your clubs on Scotland’s wild and woolly west coast and you’re entering a level playing field, no matter whether you’re Chevron winner Lilia Vu, KPMG Women’s PGA champion Yin Ruoning, US Women’s Open winner Allisen Corpuz, Amundi Evian champion Celine Boutier, or... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3230096/womens-scottish-open-ginnie-ding-makes-her-mark-hong-kongs-golfers-spread-their-wings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3230096/womens-scottish-open-ginnie-ding-makes-her-mark-hong-kongs-golfers-spread-their-wings?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:45:54 +0000 Pordenone is an easy car or train ride about an hour north of Venice, within the rolling vineyards of Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia region and seemingly a world away from the constant bustle of that more famous city’s crowded alleyways. But Pordenone – a riverside town of covered walkways that dates back to Roman times – and Venice share a connection with China that goes back more than 700 years, and to the tales of two travellers. Marco Polo – Venice’s most famous son – is the better known of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3222988/comic-history-show-aardman-animations-will-eisner-italys-paff-international-museum-comic-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3222988/comic-history-show-aardman-animations-will-eisner-italys-paff-international-museum-comic-art?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:15:11 +0000 Victory for Great Britain in the third-place playoff, 22-19 in a thriller over Fiji, will be savoured for now, but attention will quickly turn to the future and to hopes that both sides can soon threaten the women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series’ two powerhouses. The gulf in class had been on display in the semi-finals on Sunday, as Great Britain fell to Australia 21-5 and New Zealand beat the Fijians 31-5, but the simple fact the losers had made it through to their first semi-final of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215761/hong-kong-sevens-great-britain-take-third-and-set-their-sights-olympic-qualification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215761/hong-kong-sevens-great-britain-take-third-and-set-their-sights-olympic-qualification?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:15:25 +0000 When victory arrived for the Black Ferns Sevens on Sunday – 26-17 over arch-rivals Australia – it came as it has so often done for New Zealand at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens down through the ages. It was built on a team-first mentality but it was sealed with a flash of individual brilliance, Stacey Waaka throwing a shimmy right and sending Australian star Maddison Levi left – and the whole park then opening up for the Kiwi forward to play with. Waaka duly crossed, the scoreboard showed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215759/hong-kong-sevens-stacey-waakas-moment-magic-seals-history-black-ferns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215759/hong-kong-sevens-stacey-waakas-moment-magic-seals-history-black-ferns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Apr 2023 14:21:09 +0000 The Black Ferns Sevens continued their inexorable march towards destiny on Saturday, racking up two more wins on their way towards Sunday’s final. The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders looked, as they have done all season, a different class, even without talismanic captain Sarah Hirini – sidelined after being cited for a collision on Friday and handed a three-match ban. Not that Hirini’s time was being wasted, and it is doubtful that a moment of the 30-year-old World Cup, World Cup Sevens,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215693/hong-kong-sevens-all-black-mindset-driving-new-zealand-women-even-higher-levels-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215693/hong-kong-sevens-all-black-mindset-driving-new-zealand-women-even-higher-levels-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Apr 2023 19:00:18 +0000 The New Zealand women turned to the great DJ Forbes as they looked for an edge coming into the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, and it sounds like the Sevens legend duly delivered. “He’s obviously the man,” Stacey Waaka, the Kiwi forward, said. “He remembered that haka they did back in 2014 when it was pouring down. We want to be the ones now that create those memories for our future generations.” The women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series has arrived in town for the first time, with New Zealand... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215635/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-bring-big-guns-forbes-helps-them-rise-occasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215635/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-bring-big-guns-forbes-helps-them-rise-occasion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:00:17 +0000 Vuli Savou was just one among many on Friday and among the many more to come on Saturday, but it still felt as if she was speaking for every Fijian sevens fan when she said there was only one way to describe how it felt returning to the Hong Kong Stadium. “My gosh, it feels great,” she said. “We’re coming out of Covid-19, and we’re ready. There’s no place in the world we would rather be. The atmosphere, the city, it has been four year of waiting for us and now, look, finally we are here... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215627/hong-kong-sevens-fijian-fans-back-full-voice-and-they-promise-more-come-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215627/hong-kong-sevens-fijian-fans-back-full-voice-and-they-promise-more-come-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 17:00:20 +0000 Agnes Tse Wing-kiu had long dreamed of the try that came in a flash and will live long in the memories of those gathered under the drizzle at the Hong Kong Stadium on Friday night. The city’s women were supposed to be making up the numbers, but there was Tse, who gave up her career as a Cathay Pacific steward to become a full-time rugby player, finding a gap in the Canadian defence and crossing in the 10th minute for her side’s first score. And there she was sending the crowd into raptures as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215634/hong-kong-sevens-agnes-tse-grabs-her-moment-and-hong-kong-look-learn-facing-best-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215634/hong-kong-sevens-agnes-tse-grabs-her-moment-and-hong-kong-look-learn-facing-best-there?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:47:45 +0000 Fiji came agonisingly close to winning their sixth straight Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens last November, denied at the death by a last-ditch Australian try as they lost 20-17. Maybe it was the absence of their “extra player” – more commonly known as the travelling masses who come to Hong Kong each year as though on pilgrimage and, more often than not, simply will their heroes to victory. Lingering pandemic restrictions made their numbers few back then but right now Fiji have returned and a decent... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215399/hong-kong-sevens-fiji-looking-return-fans-add-little-bit-extra?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215399/hong-kong-sevens-fiji-looking-return-fans-add-little-bit-extra?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:30:11 +0000 As much as the inclusion of a fully fledged, elite-level women’s tournament will thrill those playing in this weekend’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, it is in the stands that the most meaningful impressions may be made. Hong Kong co-captain Natasha Olson-Thorne has considered it from both sides of the touchline and said the impact on girls from watching the world’s best women taking centre stage should not be underestimated. “When you see women playing sport at a high level and see that as an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215289/hong-kong-sevens-2023-hosts-womens-rugby-team-can-inspire-generation-they-take-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3215289/hong-kong-sevens-2023-hosts-womens-rugby-team-can-inspire-generation-they-take-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:00:50 +0000 Hong Kong has emerged from the World Rugby Sevens Series wilderness, and this week the city is hosting its second tournament in just five months. For those who might have lost track of who the stars of the game are right now, here’s our selection of those to watch at Hong Kong Stadium this weekend. Maddison Levi (Australia): There were eyebrows raised when the now-20-year-old Levi was plucked from relative obscurity to join the Aussie squad in 2021. What a piece of genius the decision is now... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3214981/hong-kong-sevens-2023-6-mens-and-womens-players-watch-weeks-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3214981/hong-kong-sevens-2023-6-mens-and-womens-players-watch-weeks-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2023 08:43:28 +0000 Max Woodward is already a veteran of five Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens – four of them as captain – and he sensed a change in the air when he ran out to play at the tournament last November. Put part of this down to circumstances beyond anyone’s control as the local pandemic restrictions ensured that there were few spectators from outside the city to be found at Hong Kong Stadium. And put part of it down to the squad surrounding him. “November was quite an emotional tournament,” Woodward said.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3214921/hong-kong-sevens-2023-game-breaking-young-stars-excite-citys-skipper-max-woodward-now-he-wants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3214921/hong-kong-sevens-2023-game-breaking-young-stars-excite-citys-skipper-max-woodward-now-he-wants?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2023 00:30:21 +0000 A photo went viral after Australia beat Fiji in the final of last November’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, showing green-and-gold coach John Manenti looking on in apparent disbelief as his players raised their trophy. Talk about capturing the moment. Manenti’s side had just scored a try at the very death to win the Cup final 20-17, and his face summed up the feeling all around Hong Kong Stadium at the time. The Australians, who had not won the Hong Kong tournament since 1988, had just dethroned... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3214752/hong-kong-sevens-2023-holders-australia-hope-feel-love-once-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3214752/hong-kong-sevens-2023-holders-australia-hope-feel-love-once-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Mar 2023 01:00:18 +0000 Jeka Saragih carries the hopes of a nation this weekend as he sets out to become the first-ever Indonesian contracted to the UFC but it’s the 120 families that make up his mountain village home that he fights for every day. “I do this because I feel I have to,” Saragih explains. “I fight because I want to help lift my people out of poverty and to inspire the young kids so that they are led away from the bad things in life.” We’re speaking via video call and the 28-year-old Saragih (13-2) is in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3208665/road-ufc-how-indonesias-jeka-saragih-fights-lift-his-village-out-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3208665/road-ufc-how-indonesias-jeka-saragih-fights-lift-his-village-out-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Feb 2023 02:54:19 +0000 Yi Zha was the last Chinese fighter standing when the dust settled on the semi-finals of the Asian Road to UFC tournament and that was of no great surprise to the featherweight from Sichuan. At 26 years of age and with a record of 21-3 that dates back to 2016 behind him, Yi has been around, and he’s felt ever since the region-wide talent sweep was announced that this, right here, was his pathway to the big show. “When I heard about this tournament I knew this was my chance,” Yi says. “I feel... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3208598/road-ufc-yi-zha-flies-flag-china-asia-wide-search-reaches-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3208598/road-ufc-yi-zha-flies-flag-china-asia-wide-search-reaches-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:15:11 +0000 The Hong Kong Sprint has been graced by some of racing history’s great speedsters in the 20 years since it was afforded Group One status and for the most part they have delivered when it has come time to take to the big stage. Think back to the double wins of local champions Silent Witness (2003, 2004), Sacred Kingdom (2007, 2009), Aerovelocity (2014, 2016) and Mr Stunning (2017, 2018), or to the imposing presence that was Japanese raider Lord Kanaloa when he came, saw, and conquered – also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3202674/darren-beadman-brilliance-inspires-biggest-boilover-hong-kong-sprint-history-he-was-just-making?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3202674/darren-beadman-brilliance-inspires-biggest-boilover-hong-kong-sprint-history-he-was-just-making?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2022 05:25:22 +0000 On Sundays, on the opposite side of the world, you’ll now find Olivier Doleuze as far removed from the din of Sha Tin as one can get. Settled happily into retirement, the Frenchman says his weekends at this time of the year are spent skiing. Doleuze has also recently released a book on nutrition as he splits family time in the south of France with exploring new opportunities after moving on from the game that gave him “everything”. But you can’t escape your past. And all it really takes to get... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3201997/olivier-doleuze-relives-good-ba-bas-magical-hong-kong-mile-hat-trick-i-never-had-feeling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3201997/olivier-doleuze-relives-good-ba-bas-magical-hong-kong-mile-hat-trick-i-never-had-feeling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Dec 2022 05:47:19 +0000 It was a connection he felt with all animals that led Vincent Ho Chak-yiu to becoming a jockey. It was the bond he formed with one that changed his life forever. As the Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained Golden Sixty lines up looking to win his third consecutive Group One Hong Kong Mile next Sunday, Ho will be up there in the saddle, looking to help the horse on to history. He has been there for the past two editions of the HK$30 million race – and three wins would equal the great Good Ba Ba for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3201984/how-golden-sixty-changed-everything-vincent-ho-jockey-and-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3201984/how-golden-sixty-changed-everything-vincent-ho-jockey-and-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Dec 2022 02:55:35 +0000 Joanna Jedrzejczyk did not see the right fist of Zhang Weili coming and it’s a fair bet no one else in the UFC’s strawweight ranks did either. China’s former world champion had played a nifty bait and switch in her rematch with Jedrzejczyk back in June, after often shifting attention in her interviews and press conferences to the work she had done on the mats at Thailand’s Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA gym. Zhang had made her Polish opponent – as much as the world – believe she might be going in heavy... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3199209/ufc-281-zhang-weili-wants-finish-carla-esparza-quickly-possible-crucial-title-bout-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3199209/ufc-281-zhang-weili-wants-finish-carla-esparza-quickly-possible-crucial-title-bout-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Nov 2022 03:15:13 +0000 One of the aspects that lifts the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens head and shoulders above its rivals on the circuit is that at this event some of the losers walk away winners anyway. Consider the case of Uruguay, whose record was 1-2 in Pool B play, before they lost to Spain 19-14 on Sunday morning to go to 1-3. Yet here they were as darkness descended on the Hong Kong Stadium lifting a shiny Shield having defeated Kenya 10-7 in the afternoon before rolling Japan 33-10 and with proud... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198647/hong-kong-sevens-2022-new-zealand-fall-short-still-emerge-victors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198647/hong-kong-sevens-2022-new-zealand-fall-short-still-emerge-victors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Nov 2022 14:34:43 +0000 The triumph Hong Kong Stadium so desperately wanted never came, but the home team had played with such passion across this return edition of the Sevens that they exited the stage with their heads held high. On Sunday they pushed Canada to 19-17, when they probably should have won, before thrilling the fans with a late rally against Japan that just ran out of time as they lost 24-17. There was a group huddle at the end and selfies later with the fans. What we felt was a palpable sense the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198619/hong-kong-sevens-2022-hosts-show-shape-things-come-local-legend-salom-yiu-bids-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198619/hong-kong-sevens-2022-hosts-show-shape-things-come-local-legend-salom-yiu-bids-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Nov 2022 08:50:41 +0000 There were suspicions on Friday that Samoa had taken a look at their Pool A draw – alongside reigning HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series champions Australia and Rugby World Cup Sevens runners-up New Zealand – and thought they had nothing to lose at this edition of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. On Saturday that was confirmed as fact as Samoans rolled into the Cup quarter-finals unbeaten and playing a thrill-a-minute style of carefree rugby. It had been enough to roll the Kiwis 24-0 on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198574/hong-kong-sevens-2022-surprise-packets-samoa-storm-quarter-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198574/hong-kong-sevens-2022-surprise-packets-samoa-storm-quarter-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Nov 2022 12:30:09 +0000 Japan gave Fiji a scare on Friday night as the islanders opened up a campaign that is aimed at a sixth consecutive Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens title. It lasted about 10 seconds. After Taisei Hayash had crossed wide and left for an opening try scored basically from the hooter, the Fijians proceeded to do what the Fijians so often do at the Hong Kong Stadium. They took control. Play resumed and Viwa Naduvalo quickly got the ball in his hands and he bullocked his way over the line, and all... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198518/hong-kong-sevens-2022-fijis-young-stars-have-big-shoes-fill-are-already-soaking-big-occasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198518/hong-kong-sevens-2022-fijis-young-stars-have-big-shoes-fill-are-already-soaking-big-occasion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Nov 2022 13:59:43 +0000 Fiji is the spiritual home of sevens rugby and for Fijian fans the Hong Kong Stadium is the pulpit before which they worship. Success out on the field of play – 19 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens titles in total including the past five in a row – is matched only by the scores of fans who descend on the city each year, and help bring the tournament to life each day. Not so in 2022, as the fates have conspired against Fiji’s travelling fans with the lingering effects of the global pandemic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198299/hong-kong-sevens-2022-fiji-will-just-come-standstill-even-more-so-their-fans-stuck-watching-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3198299/hong-kong-sevens-2022-fiji-will-just-come-standstill-even-more-so-their-fans-stuck-watching-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Nov 2022 09:44:16 +0000 The city will be immersed in all the drama of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens this weekend and there was a time when Ramona Pascual would have been, too. As a rugby prospect in her 20s Pascual was part of the Hong Kong set up before injuries helped force her to find another path in life and that is why she’s in Las Vegas this weekend – and not at the Hong Kong Stadium. But there’s also high drama in store for the 34-year-old Pascual (6-4) as she faces a fight that will no doubt frame... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3197974/hong-kong-sevens-ramona-pascual-goes-rugby-ufc-her-moment-truth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3197974/hong-kong-sevens-ramona-pascual-goes-rugby-ufc-her-moment-truth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:45:10 +0000 There will be no escaping the sense of occasion surrounding Hong Kong’s opening match against Australia as the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens kicks off on Friday night. For more than three years the Hong Kong Stadium has sat pretty much in silence but expect that to all change when the locals run out against the reigning World Rugby Sevens Series champions, who happen to also be the one team the city has long loved to hate. Max Denmark said the wait has at times been worrying but it has... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3197879/hong-kong-sevens-max-denmark-says-he-stronger-faster-fitter-sevens-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3197879/hong-kong-sevens-max-denmark-says-he-stronger-faster-fitter-sevens-return?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:56:05 +0000 It was 20 years ago that England finally broke through for their first Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens title but if there are any celebrations to mark the occasion this year they will be muted. That’s because England, as a sevens side, don’t actually exist any more as the fates – in the form of pure financial necessity – have seen the “Team Great Britain” concept that has been used in the Olympics now take root in the World Rugby Sevens Series. It’s all about long-term strategy, with an eye... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3197764/hong-kong-sevens-2022-farewell-england-welcome-team-great-britain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3197764/hong-kong-sevens-2022-farewell-england-welcome-team-great-britain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:15:07 +0000 Everyone loves a winner, but what happens when the winner is a team everyone loves to hate? We are about to find out as Australia arrive in Hong Kong as the freshly minted World Rugby Sevens Series champions. That title – the Australians’ first – was sealed with a third-place finish at the season-ending event in Los Angeles, and the team so quickly moved on to the Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa that they barely had time to celebrate. So maybe the crowd at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3197212/hong-kong-sevens-2022-have-traditional-villains-australia-earned-little-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3197212/hong-kong-sevens-2022-have-traditional-villains-australia-earned-little-love?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 11:14:11 +0000 There are around 280 million people across Indonesia. There are exactly zero Indonesians currently fighting in the UFC. Jeka Saragih seems intent on changing that equation. The 27-year-old from Simalungun (13-2) booked himself a place in the final of the Road to UFC tournament’s lightweight division in Abu Dhabi late Sunday with a highlight reel knockout of Ki Won-bin (16-8) - a straight right that was short, and sharp and it left the South Korean shocked and on his back. Lu Kai leads China’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3196995/road-ufc-indonesias-jeka-saragih-indias-anshul-jubli-vow-shake-organisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3196995/road-ufc-indonesias-jeka-saragih-indias-anshul-jubli-vow-shake-organisation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 03:30:16 +0000 The Road to UFC tournament is designed to unearth previously untapped potential from across Asia, and Lu Kai knows what it means in terms of his fan base and his future. Among the stand-out winners to emerge from the first round of the tournament in Singapore in June, the Chinese featherweight (8-3, one no contest) quickly found a connection with people all over the world, along with renewed faith in his own abilities as a fighter. “I was really nervous as it was another step towards fulfilling... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3196568/road-ufc-lu-kai-leads-chinas-charge-big-time-blockbuster-abu-dhabi-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3196568/road-ufc-lu-kai-leads-chinas-charge-big-time-blockbuster-abu-dhabi-event?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 07:15:08 +0000 Yan Xiaonan is being shadowed by the two straight losses that derailed her run towards a shot at the UFC strawweight title, but the Chinese fighter prefers not to pay them any attention at all. “You move on and you work even harder,” Yan said. “And that’s what’s got me here today – hard work.” The here – and the now – for the sixth-ranked Yan (15-3, one no contest) is her bout with the fifth-ranked American Mackenzie Dern (12-2) at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 211 in Las Vegas. It will mark... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3194373/ufc-fight-night-211-chinas-yan-xiaonan-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3194373/ufc-fight-night-211-chinas-yan-xiaonan-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Sep 2022 06:03:04 +0000 It’s easy to overlook the fact that Wu Yanan is just 25 years old, given everything the Chinese bantamweight has gone through both inside and outside the cage. Partly that’s due to the fact the Chaoyang-born fighter has been fighting as a professional since she was just 16, and part of it is due to the fact that she’s already been in the UFC for five years. And then there’s the injuries, the cancelled fights and the losses that “Mulan” has endured over the past few years. Enough to test anyone’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3174358/ufc-chinas-mulan-wu-yanan-has-got-her-mind-right-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3174358/ufc-chinas-mulan-wu-yanan-has-got-her-mind-right-return?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Apr 2022 03:40:22 +0000 UFC strawweight star Mackenzie Dern says the positives to come out of her last loss were the punches she took to the face. Dern (11-2) laughs about the experience now, but she is serious at the same time. Though her MMA career stretches back six years, Dern had never really taken punches on – in numbers – before she faced Brazilian Marina Rodriguez. “But now I know I can take it,” explains the 29-year-old American. “And she couldn’t knock me out.” Losing to the third-ranked Rodriguez (16-1-2)... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3173378/ufc-273-mackenzie-dern-says-getting-punched?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3173378/ufc-273-mackenzie-dern-says-getting-punched?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Apr 2022 05:27:06 +0000 UFC promised Asia MMA fans a ‘jam-packed fight week’ that would be one to remember, as it announced a return to Singapore on Tuesday for a blockbuster event featuring several world title fights. With fight boss Dana White highlighting “an absolutely stacked card” for UFC 275, the organisation also hinted that news regarding the involvement of big-name fighters from Southeast Asia was “on the horizon” And in a first for the region, the event, which will be held at Singapore Indoor Arena on June... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3172268/ufc-275-teixeira-and-shevchenko-put-belts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3172268/ufc-275-teixeira-and-shevchenko-put-belts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:30:18 +0000 China’s Formula One history-maker Zhou Guanyu has revealed that the faith shown in him by former world F1 champion Fernando Alonso – and by his own family – has helped drive him to the pinnacle of world motorsport. Zhou is in the final stages of preparation with his Alfa Romeo team before the 2022 F1 season-opener in Bahrain on March 20, where the 22-year-old is set to become the first full-time F1 Chinese driver. It’s a journey that began with Zhou trying out go-karting in Shanghai as an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3171030/formula-one-zhou-guanyu-finds-inspiration-friend-fernando-alonso?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3171030/formula-one-zhou-guanyu-finds-inspiration-friend-fernando-alonso?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Mar 2022 00:15:26 +0000 China’s most decorated driver Ma Qinghua was the first from the country to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car so he knows more than anyone the pressures Zhou Guanyu will be feeling in the lead-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, as well as the sheer sense of excitement. At just 22, Zhou is set to become the first full-time Chinese F1 driver when he suits up and he climbs into his Alfa Romeo this weekend, and Ma has urged his compatriot to back his own instinct and his own skills. Ma,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3170506/f1-alfa-romeos-zhou-guanyu-has-what-it-takes-succeed-says-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3170506/f1-alfa-romeos-zhou-guanyu-has-what-it-takes-succeed-says-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Mar 2022 09:45:13 +0000 It speaks volumes about the rapid rise of motor racing in mainland China that when Zhou Guanyu was born in 1999, the sport barely existed. Fast-forward just 22 years and on Sunday, Zhou will become the country’s first full-time Formula One driver when he climbs into his Alfa Romeo at the Bahrain Grand Prix – and on the ground in mainland China there are now more than 100 motorsport events staged every year. “There’s been a huge step in China in terms of knowledge of motorsports among regular... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3170375/how-formula-1-driver-zhou-guanyu-helping-accelerate-rise-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3170375/how-formula-1-driver-zhou-guanyu-helping-accelerate-rise-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Mar 2022 08:30:09 +0000 There should by rights be a lot swirling around in the head of Song Yadong, as the surging Chinese bantamweight prepares for his first co-main event at UFC Fight Night 203 this weekend, and he faces his first top 10-ranked opponent. Win, and a run towards a possible title shot awaits the 24-year-old from Harbin, in China’s far north, along with fame and no small amount of fortune. But Song is having none of that sort of talk – or thought – at the moment. The only thing on his mind is the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170053/ufc-fight-night-203-chinas-song-yadong-faces-toughest-test-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170053/ufc-fight-night-203-chinas-song-yadong-faces-toughest-test-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Mar 2022 02:45:17 +0000 The major surprise for Chinese strawweight Yan Xiaonan was that when the experience of losing a fight finally came around, it wasn’t quite the end of her world. Yan says she took “big lessons” out of losing to American Carla Esparza last time out and she turned attention one way only. “It led to me knowing more about myself and my skill set, what are my weakness, where should I improve in my whole MMA skill set,” she says. “I wasn’t 100 per cent ready to fight Carla, to defend her takedowns and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168964/ufc-272-chinas-yan-xiaonan-sets-sights-title-shot-win-over-marina?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168964/ufc-272-chinas-yan-xiaonan-sets-sights-title-shot-win-over-marina?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Mar 2022 10:55:42 +0000 Rong Zhu says he is a fast learner and that’s a handy trait to carry into his UFC career, given the Chinese lightweight is the youngest fighter on the books of the world’s dominant MMA promotion. It also goes some way towards explaining how the 21-year-old from northwestern Sichuan opened his UFC account with a loss that he should have won against the Mexican Rodrigo Vargas (12-4) last April, coming home hard in the final round after appearing – from the outside at least – to be a little caught... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168360/ufc-chinas-rong-zhu-poised-cash-potential-fight-night-bonus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168360/ufc-chinas-rong-zhu-poised-cash-potential-fight-night-bonus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Feb 2022 06:15:06 +0000 There’s history waiting for Ramona Pascual this weekend as she becomes the first woman from Hong Kong to fight in the UFC, and it’s a reward for all the years of heartache and pain and sacrifice that have gone into her career as a fighter. The 33-year-old, who knows she “belongs in the UFC”, is confident that she should be “fighting high-calibre opponents”, also wants the world to know that is not enough. Pascual (6-2) has stepped with little more than a week’s notice to fight Brazilian Josiane... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3168169/ufc-josiane-nunes-vs-ramona-pascual-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3168169/ufc-josiane-nunes-vs-ramona-pascual-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Feb 2022 10:15:22 +0000 It took more than a decade for Philippine-based featherweight Mark Striegl to get his first fight in the UFC. It took exactly 51 seconds for it to end. But if all those years in the cage have taught the 33-year-old one thing it’s you take your setbacks much like your successes in that your attention quickly switches to the next challenge. “Definitely not the way I wanted to debut but life can be a roller coaster, especially in the sport that is MMA. It’s actually even crazier in MMA,” says... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3167533/ufc-ode-baguio-citys-fighting-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3167533/ufc-ode-baguio-citys-fighting-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:00:24 +0000 Zhou Guanyu has been fast-tracked to history as China’s first full-time Formula One driver, but the headlines that followed his rise hide the hard times he has faced along the way. Zhou points to his second season in Formula 2 in 2020 as an example, and how car troubles led to doubts, and to growing stress given that the sport is all about results, as well as showing you can face down adversity and find a way to conquer it. A contract with Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen – signed this past November –... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3162931/chinese-driver-zhou-guanyu-doubts-stress-and-mechanical-failures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3162931/chinese-driver-zhou-guanyu-doubts-stress-and-mechanical-failures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jan 2022 07:14:51 +0000 China’s first full-time Formula One driver Zhou Guanyu has put the celebrations on hold just as much as he has the reality of his historic achievement. Part of that is down to the current global circumstances – the 22-year-old is tucked away in London and a world away from his family and friends back in Shanghai, with travel home out of the question because of pandemic travel restrictions and protocols. And part of that is down to the very nature of the man. While considered an overnight... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3161510/chinese-f1-driver-zhou-guanyu-toy-cars-destiny-making-history-alfa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3161510/chinese-f1-driver-zhou-guanyu-toy-cars-destiny-making-history-alfa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jan 2022 00:15:14 +0000 You didn’t have to actually be watching to know Golden Sixty had hit the lead in Sunday’s HK$26 million Longines Hong Kong Mile. The roar from the grandstand gave it all away. With 200m left to go, Vincent Ho Chak-yiu put paid to his rivals – and then to the previous record for the most wins by a horse in Hong Kong – and the noise from those gathered echoed out into the hills. Post-race, Ho summed up the mood being felt at Sha Tin, as much as in his own heart, after Golden Sixty had captured his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3159421/record-breaking-golden-sixty-does-hong-kong-proud-it-means-world-me?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3159421/record-breaking-golden-sixty-does-hong-kong-proud-it-means-world-me?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Dec 2021 12:22:40 +0000