Developing winter sport is daunting in Hong Kong, but Thomas Wu possesses the passion to do it
Confident patron has can-do spirit to achieve 'mission impossible' in city
The obstacles seem insurmountable, but Thomas Wu Man-sun is not fazed.
He is confident ice hockey will soon become a mainstream sport in the city, pinning his belief on a can-do spirit which has already borne results - Hong Kong will be fielding a team in the men's world championship in Luxembourg in April.
It might only be Division Three, but it is the first time in 27 years Hong Kong is sending a team to a world championship. All because of Wu's long love affair with ice hockey.
We want the sport to be local ... but sadly our scope is limited. If we had more rinks, we could do more
By all rights the sport shouldn't even be on the radar here. The problems are manifold, but prime among them is the lack of facilities. Only four ice rinks are available, of which just two can be used by adults. The shortage is exacerbated by the fact that all four rinks are built in shopping malls, which means the public comes first, resulting in league games starting as late as 11pm on a Sunday. The league comprises four teams, the minimum required to qualify for the IIHF world championship.
If ice time is precious, the cost of hiring the rinks for league games is a mind-boggling HK$10,000 per hour. With a full game lasting two-and-a-half hours, this translates into HK$25,000 for a game.
"We make do and adapt, just like any entrepreneur in Hong Kong," says Wu, shrugging his slim shoulders. "For instance, all our matches in our recreation league are limited to one hour."
His ability to "make do" is perhaps due to his genes. His dad is billionaire businessman Gordon Wu Ying-sheung.