From nothing to a force in Asia to ... Winter Olympics one day? How one man brought curling to Hong Kong

University lecturer John Li Shek-chong watched in amazement as people threw rocks and others used broomsticks at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. His curiosity then got the better of him.

“It was so funny to see people throwing rocks at one end to the other and brushing the ice,” recalled Li. “A lot of people – including me – did not understand the scoring system but Hong Kong people went crazy for it the next day. They’d take a broom at home and use a teapot as if it was a curling stone.

“I thought since no one seemed to understand the sport, I should search for any Hong Kong associations. There were none; no groups, no players, no ice for curling, no equipment, no coaches – nothing,” said Li, who is a lecturer at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) SPACE.

Li set up the Hong Kong Curling Association after “registering the company for HK$250”. He became the association’s president and immediately got the wheels turning – or the rocks gliding.

“I wrote an email to the World Curling Federation (WCF). I told them I’m not coming to meet the president; I’m coming to learn about curling first,” Li said. “I purchased air tickets with my wife and off we went to Scotland.”

Li toured the Royal Caledonian Curling Club – known as the ‘Mother Club of Curling’ – where he threw his first rock.

“We fell a lot and had no idea where our rocks were going, but that was our first lesson. Then we bought our first pair of curling shoes and went to the factory that produces the granite stones used at the Olympic Games and world championships,” he said.