The art of 'aerial ice hockey' is being perfected in Hong Kong
First played by the indigenous people of North America, the game has taken hold in the city
On a lazy Sunday afternoon, two men take to a soccer pitch with chalk, tape measure and string.
Ten minutes pass while they carefully mark the field in preparation for a game of lacrosse - one of those major North American sports you have probably never heard of and played only by a handful of diehards in the city.
Admittedly, Hong Kong's performance in the sport until recently has not been worth knowing about, let alone having a pre-marked field. Until now.
When I heard lacrosse was being played in Hong Kong, my initial response was 'really?'
This weekend the Hong Kong lacrosse team are testing their mettle against squads from around Asia in the invitational Hong Kong Open. And with a recent - and first - win in the Singha tournament last October in Thailand, expectations are high.
The tournament celebrates 20 years of the sport in Hong Kong. It also marks a turning point, as the team prepare for the 2014 Lacrosse World Championships in Denver in July, where the 23-strong squad will carry Hong Kong's renewed hopes for the sport on their shoulders.
The appearance will not be the first time Hong Kong compete internationally in lacrosse; a team have represented the region in the tournament three times in the past 12 years.
Yet, while the sport has flourished worldwide, expanding from six teams at the inaugural world championship in 2003 to 38 this year, Hong Kong have not exactly distinguished themselves, placing 22nd out of 30 squads the last time they competed, which was in 2010.