Opinion | Among tear gas, protests and petrol bombs, badminton fans should be praised for supporting Lee Cheuk-yiu
- Fans still turned out in force to support the 23-year-old despite all the turmoil outside the Coliseum where riot police and protesters were battling each other
- The Track cycling World Cup will take place in Tseung Kwan O next week and spectators’ safety should come first
Last Sunday, the unthinkable happened during the badminton Hong Kong Open finals at the Coliseum in Hung Hom. While around 3,600 people were watching the action inside the venue, there was action of another kind outside the arena after police and protesters made the vicinity around the venue a battle ground you would only see in the movies. Police fired tear gas at protesters at Polytechnic University in one of the fiercest fighting since the social unrest started in June.
Even the venue’s main entrance reserved for staff members and media had to be closed during the third match (the women’s doubles final) as riot police poured into the area and occupied Cheong Wan Road outside the Coliseum.
The atmosphere inside the media room became extremely tense as the media wondered if they would be able to leave the venue when matches were over. They were worrying what would happen if tear gas seeped through the doors and filled the room. It was a scary situation.
Months of social unrest has forced many sporting events in Hong Kong to be cancelled or postponed while only a few events braved the situation and went go ahead, including the annual badminton showpiece, the last Super 500 tournament before the year-end World Tour finals in December.