China’s Huang Mengkai (left) competes against Hong Kong’s Nicholas Choi in their fencing foil individual final at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Photo: AFP
10 Top Hong Kong fencer Nicholas Choi suddenly called it a day after a successful Asian Games campaign. Choi, who qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games, finished with a silver in both the individual and team foil events in Indonesia, securing the best result for a Hong Kong fencer at the Asiad. At 25, Choi is now reported to be eyeing a career in showbiz.
Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching, the first Hong Kong golfer to qualify for the LPGA Tour. Photo: Handout
9 Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching became the first player from Hong Kong to star on the LPGA tour. This came after a rookie year on the 2017 Symetra Tour, where she recorded four top-10 finishes and finished 24th on the season money list.
Sarah Lee and the big cheque offered to the 2018 Asian Games winners. Photo: Chan Kin-wa
8 Asian Games medal winners were offered double incentives with an individual gold medal prize worth HK$800,000 and HK$1.6 million for team events through a dollar-for-dollar financial support from a commercial sponsor scheme. A staggering HK$26 million in cash rewards was handed out to the medal winners.
Eastern Long Lions coach, Chan Yuen-ting said Hong Kong football could have become a ‘laughing stock’ in 2018. Photo: Edward Wong
7 Referee Tong Kui-sum asked Eastern to concede a compensatory goal after admitting he had made a mistake to allow Chan Yuen-ting’s side to score an equaliser against Wofoo Tai Po in a Sapling Cup group match. Eastern coach Chan refused his request saying it risked turning the league into a laughing stock on the world stage.
Hong Kong’s Ng On-yee cemented her place as the world’s number one player in 2018. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
6 Ng On-yee surged to the world number one ranking in women’s snooker, breaking the long-time domination of England’s Reanne Evans. Ng became the first player from Asia to reach the top of snooker’s rankings.
Sarah Lee Wai-sze revealed she would be returning for another tilt at an Olympic title in Tokyo. Photo: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong
5 Sarah Lee Wai-sze came out of semi-retirement to set her sights on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 31-year-old was rumoured to have quit the sport after the 2017 World Championships in Hong Kong but finally decided to have a tilt at the 2020 Games to contend for a second medal after her 2012 London Games bronze.
Hong Kong struck gold at the 2018 Asian Games. Photo: Xinhua
4 The Hong Kong delegation returned with eight gold medals from the Asian Games in Indonesia, equalling the record they achieved at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou. Cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze captured two gold medals in the women’s sprint and keirin events, making her Hong Kong’s most decorated Asian Games gold medallist with a total five.
Hong Kong boxer Rex Tso Sing-yu (right) in action against Taiwan’s Chiang Yi-hung on his return to the ring. Photo: Winson Wong
3 Sarah Lee wasn’t the only Hong Kong sportsperson to set their sights on Tokyo. Boxer Rex Tso Sing-yu ended his professional fight career after 22 wins without defeat in 2018. Tso, who had his first bout in 13 months in an exhibition match against Taiwan’s Chiang Yi-Hung, said he would now try to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics under the Hong Kong Boxing Association.
Gary White gets ready to embrace Chung Wai-keung (right). Photo: HKFA
2 Newly recruited national soccer team coach Gary White left after just three months in charge with the success of taking Hong Kong to the EAFF Championship final still stark in his memory. His appointment led to the resignation of HKFA board member Canny Leung Chi-shan who lashed out on the recruitment process. White joined J2-League side Tokyo Verdy.
Vera Lui Lai-yiu of Hong Kong celebrates after securing bronze in the 100-metre hurdles final at the Asian Games in Jakarta. Photo: Xinhua
1 The “#MeToo” movement reached Hong Kong sport in 2018 when hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu accused her former coach of sexual assault. The accused was acquitted after a court hearing, but then Lui revealed she had been under constant attack online since her revelation and was considering legal action.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Highs and lows for HK in 2018
